General Books

The Genius: How Bill Walsh Reinvented Football and Created an NFL Dynasty

David Harris

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Genius is the gripping and definitive account of Bill Walsh’s career and how he built a football dynasty from the rubble of a fallen franchise. David Harris gives a stellar account of the silver-haired sophisticate from humble working-class roots who was hired as head coach and general manager of the San Francisco Forty Niners in January 1979 and became the architect of what is arguably the greatest ten-year run in NFL history.

With unmatched access to players, fellow coaches, executives, the reporters who covered the Niners’ heyday, and Walsh himself, Harris recounts how Walsh, through tactical and organizational genius, created a football juggernaut. There were also the demons that pushed and haunted Walsh throughout his career: his clash with his former mentor, Paul Brown, who denied Walsh his first pro head-coaching job with the Cincinnati Bengals; Walsh’s struggle with self-doubt and criticism; the toll his single-minded devotion to football exacted on his family; and his complex relationship with the Forty Niners’ owner, Edward DeBartolo, Jr.

Walsh’s pre-Niners coaching odyssey was arduous–a longtime assistant coach, he developed his legendary and now-standard pass-oriented West Coast offense during stops at all levels of the game. Despite never having run a team’s draft before, Walsh, along with his right-hand man John McVay, quickly built the foundation for a dynasty by drafting or trading for a durable core of stars, including Joe Montana, Fred Dean, Hacksaw Reynolds, Dwight Clark, and Ronnie Lott. (Walsh would later restock the team with such players as Jerry Rice, Steve Young, and Charles Haley.) The key to Walsh’s genius perhaps lay in his keen understanding of his athletes’ psyches–he knew what brought out the best in each of them. But the scope of Walsh’s impact on the game extended well beyond the field and locker room. The Forty Niners’ life-skills counseling program, which Walsh spearheaded with the sports sociologist and activist Dr. Harry Edwards, and the internship program Walsh devised to bring minority coaches into the game have since been adopted by the NFL for all league franchises.

In the annals of sport, few individuals have had as great an impact on their game–or on its relevance to life outside the lines–as Bill Walsh. With knowledge, skill, passion, and a critical eye, David Harris reveals the brilliant man behind the coaching legend.

The vision Bill Walsh brought to all his pioneering efforts was a function of his perception of himself as someone who was far more than a football coach. He cherished his standing and participation in the larger world outside the NFL and nurtured them at every opportunity.

“Knowing Bill Walsh was kind of like the blind man describing an elephant,” one of the sportswriters who covered him observed. “We all knew just one little piece of him. But he had all these other areas we knew nothing about. He dealt with lots of people outside of football, outside of our scope entirely. He was able to deal with politicians, people who were intellects in other areas. They were impressed by him.”

–from The Genius

Football Scouting Methods

Steve Belichick

Amazon Price: $16.95 List Price: $16.50 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Martino Pub

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Considered the bible of scouting techniques" according to the Los Angeles Times, Football Scouting Methods explains the basic scouting strategies and insights of author Steve Belichick. He was widely viewed as the ablest football scout of his time and coached at the U.S. Naval Academy for 33 years; his son is New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, a three-time Super Bowl winner.

When Steve Belichick died in November 2005, the New York Times headline cited him as "Coach Who Wrote the Book on Scouting," and quoted Houston Texans General Manager Charley Casserly calling Football Scouting Methods "the best book on scouting he had ever read." Joe Bellino, Navy's Heisman Trophy winner in 1960, told the Times that Steve Belichick "was a genius. On Monday nights, he would give us his scouting reports, and even though we were playing powerhouses, I always felt we were prepared because he found a way for us to win."

In recent years Football Scouting Methods has been one of the top ten most sought out-of-print books; used copies have been quite scarce. This reissue edition makes the original 1962 text available once again in exact facsimile.

The book covers how to scout opponents, recognize defenses, analyze offenses, discover "tip-offs" that reveal the opponent's plays, compose a useful report, self-scout, and conduct postgame analysis.

"Steve Belichick taught many younger men how to scout and how to watch film and how to prepare their teams for the next week's game," David Halberstam noted in the Washington Post, and his best student was his own son Bill Belichick, "one of whose greatest skills as a coach to this day remains his ability to analyze other teams, figuring out both their strengths and their vulnerabilities, and shrewdly deciding how to take away from them that which they most want to do."

When CBS asked Bill Belichick to name his favorite book, he replied "Well, I've got to go with my dad's. Football Scouting Methods. I'd have to go with that."

The Football Coaching Bible

American Football Coaches Association

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $11.25

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Football Coaching Bible features many of the game's most successful coaches. Each shares the special insight, advice, and strategies they've used to field championship-winning teams season after season.

The 27 chapter contributing coaches span six decades of the sport and reach into every corner of the United States. The impressive list of contributors:

• Joe Paterno
• Hayden Fry
• Phil Fulmer
• Dick Foster
• Grant Teaff
• Gene Stallings
• Jim Tressel
• R.C. Slocum
• LaVell Edwards
• Bobby Bowden
• Jim Young
• Jerry Sandusky
• Frosty Westering
• Mack Brown
• Larry Kehres
• Bill Snyder
• Lou Holtz
• Ken Sparks
• Tom Osborne
• Sonny Lubick
• Mike Bellotti
• Barry Alvarez
• Fisher DeBerry
• George Curry
• Bo Schembechler
• Joe Tiller
• Frank Beamer

They cover every aspect of the game: coaching principles, program building, player motivation, practice sessions, individual skills, team tactics, offensive and defensive play-calling, and performance evaluation.

Developed by the American Football Coaches Association, this coaching guide establishes a new standard of excellence in the sport.

University of Alabama Football Vault: The Story of the Crimson Tide,1892-2007

Jay Barker

Amazon Price: $32.97 List Price: $49.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Whitman Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $26.38

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Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> State & Local -> Alabama
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wow! Every BAMA Fan should have this one! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

My husband is a diehard Bama fan, and this was just to be an addition to the collection he already has... But, this could be the best one yet. I was amazed at the amount of information, history, memorabilia, quality, everything. I was expecting another "book", not a scrapbook of Alabama football history. Way to go Barker!

A must have for every 'Bama fan. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is more than a book. It has everything you could imagine and is very well written by former alabama QB Jay Barker. I sat, totally amazed by everything in this vault for over 2 hours, reading stories, talking to my dad about games he'd been too, having travia matches with my "know-it-all" brother, and wishing I had another book for myself. This book looks great on the coffee table of my moms house and is a suitable sub for the Bible (until mom saw it there, Apparently "The Bear" isn't God after all.). If you like 'Bama football then, this book will make you love it. This is THE GIFT for the holidays or any other special occasion.

Editorial Review:

The 114 year history of the Crimson Tide is brought vividly to life by All-American quarterback Jay Barker, coupled with historic images, artwork, and photographs that span more than 11 decades of collegiate football greatness. Additionally, this unique book gives Tide fans a veritable home archive of reproduction memorabilia representing Bama's long and illustrious history. Hardcover with slipcase, 12X10, 144 pages.

How Good Do You Want to Be?: A Champion's Tips on How to Lead and Succeed at Work and in Life

Nick Saban, Brian Curtis

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Management & Leadership -> Leadership
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Self-Help -> Personal Transformation

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

He guided LSU to its first football championship in forty-five years. He turned down countless offers from professional teams to stay with the job he loves. Now Nick Saban reveals the secrets that will help you lead and succeed at work and in life.

Excellence doesn’t happen overnight. It comes from hard work, consistency, the drive to be the best, and a passion for what you do. Few understand this better than Nick Saban, the hottest college football coach in the game. Now, in How Good Do You Want to Be?, Saban shares his winning philosophy for creating and inspiring success.

In more than three decades as a player and coach, Saban has learned much about life and leadership, both on the field and off. Working alongside some of the game’s legends, including Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick and coaching legend Jerry Glanville, he saw firsthand how great leaders encourage greatness in others. In this candid, insightful guide, he shares such acquired wisdom as

• Organization, Organization, Organization
Create an environment where everybody knows his or her responsibilities–and each is responsible to the entire group.
• Motivate to Dominate
Understand the psychology of teams and individuals, and use that knowledge to breed success.
• No Other Way than Right
Practice ethics and values–and demand the same from your team.
• Look in the Mirror
Maintain an understanding of who you are by knowing your strengths and your weaknesses.

How Good Do You Want to Be? is more than the story of how Nick Saban motivates his staff and players to excel–it is also the memoir of one of America’s most successful coaches. Filled with instructive anecdotes and illuminated by never-before-told stories of his life and career, this is a book that challenges and inspires us all to be our best.


From the Hardcover edition.

Offensive Football Strategies

American Football Coaches Association

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Subjects -> Sports -> Coaching -> Football (American) -> Offense

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Use strategies straight from many of football’s all-time greatest coaches! Offensive Football Strategies offers you special access to the sharpest football minds in the game’s history. Pick and choose portions to use to optimize your game plan each season and each game.

Offensive Football Strategies is the most comprehensive and detailed book of its kind, containing the most popular and effective offensive philosophies, systems, formations, and plays over the past 40 years. This extensive collection includes 73 articles written by many of the greatest coaching strategists, including Bob Devaney, Bear Bryant, John McKay, Joe Paterno, Tom Osborne, Marv Levy, Hayden Fry, LaVell Edwards, Steve Spurrier, and many more.

The articles are organized into the following sections:

• Developing a System
• Attacking the Defense
• Building Backfield Excellence
• Running the Wing-T
• Running From the I
• Running the Wishbone
• Running the Veer
• Running an Option Offense
• Establishing a Passing Scheme
• Passing From Sets and Formations
• Keeping the Defense on Edge
• Incorporating Play-Action
• Creating Quality Quarterback Play
• Protecting the Passer
• Gaining Key Yardage
• Dominating the Red Zone

Developed in cooperation with the American Football Coaches Association, Offensive Football Strategies is loaded with more than 700 X-and-O diagrams. Whether you are seeking another option for your running or passing attack, or looking for that sure-fire scoring play in the red zone, this book offers a wealth of winning strategies for your game plan.

Defensive Football Strategies (American Football Coaches Association)

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Physical Education
Subjects -> Sports -> Coaching -> Football (American) -> Defense
Subjects -> Sports -> Coaching -> Football (American) -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Better than Average 4 out of 5 stars.
28 of 30 people found this review helpful.

Strengths: The book broadly covers most of the elements of defensive football strategy. Most defensive approaches that have been attempted successfully in the last 40 years are reviewed and explained. Football coaches, especially at the HS level where the athletes' practice time is limited, will appreciate the book's simplicity and its ability to convey the essence of a particular defensive approach. Do these philosophies work? They have, in various forms, for decades.

Weaknesses: The strength of the book is also its primary weakness. It covers so much material that nothing is covered in detail, and coaches seeking the finer points of a particular defensive scheme may have to look elsewhere for assistance. Some of the newer defensive philosophies, especially the incredibly specialized schemes used in the pro ranks (defensive ends dropping off into coverage in short zones, linebackers who only play in running situations, or cornerbacks involved in intricate blitz schemes) are not covered. HS coaches will probably not have the time or athletic talent to indulge in that level of detail anyway.

As for the critique that defensive schemes designed to stop offenses from the 1960s don't belong in the book, I would beg to differ. In many areas of the country, especially the deep south, HS football coaches still employ the offensive systems in which they themselves played in decades before. Perhaps the most prominent example is the use of the triple-option out of a wishbone formation, once a staple of college football (Oklahoma and Alabama in the 1970s), never used in the pro ranks and abandoned by almost all college teams except the Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy. It was not unusual to find Tennessee HS football teams still running this offense through the 1990s. In this regard, the book's coverage of defenses designed to stop antiquated offensive game plans is a strength at the HS level.

Editorial Review:

This volume is a complete collection of knowledge and insights from many of the best defensive minds in the game. Readers will find winning strategies from 90 top coaches - legends of both the past and the present -including Jerry Sanduskly of Penn Sate, Bob Stoops of the University of Oklahoma, Bo Schembechier of the University of Michigan, Charlie McBride of the University of Nebraska, and R.C. Slocum of Texas A & M. The book contains 73 detailed presentations on many of football's most successful defensive tactics used during the past 40 years. With the help of the 600 X-and O diagrams, coaches will learn about countering common offensive formations and attacks, stopping the running and passing games, situational decision-making, and defending the goal line.

Football's Eagle and Stack Defenses

Ron Vanderlinden

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Multiple formation and motion offenses of the modern football era present many defensive challenges. Football's Eagle & Stack Defenses will prepare teams and individual players to not only defend but also attack and dominate whatever offensive tactics an opponent might employ.

Author Ron Vanderlinden has been coach and architect of several of the most formidable defensive teams in the past 20 seasons. From the University of Colorado's national champions in 1990 to Northwestern's Big Ten title-winning team in 1995 to the revitalized, high-pursuit Penn State attack, Vanderlinden's well-drilled defensive players and units have enjoyed tremendous success.

Now, in this book, you can learn all the details of the defensive tactics and techniques as well as the coaching points that can make these two defenses so effective. No other book combines these fronts, and there is no one better equipped than Vanderlinden to put them together in a variety of game situations that will allow your defense to control your opponent's offense. Football's Eagle & Stack Defenses will be your best defensive co-coordinator for this season and many seasons to come.

Youth Football Skills & Drills

Tom Bass

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A must for Youth Football coaches 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Got the book last week, read it over the week-end. First practice last night with the 8-9 year old team. I had prepared drills for the D-Line as I am D-Line coach.

The defensive coordinator couldn't make it and there were only 11 kids at practice on defense because of vacations.

I improvised with individual and group drills, that I picked up in the book, for 60 minutes. Kept the practice quick paced like Coach Bass said.

Amazing! The kids were all into it. No talking and fooling around like usual because they're bored waiting their turn.

I recommend it to any Youth Coach who is starting out or event with some experience.

Editorial Review:

One of the NFL's leading coaches helps you improve your players' techniques and your team's performance

Building on the phenomenal success of the Baffled Parent's series, this comprehensive resource helps you expand your teaching skills and improve your players' performance and enjoyment. It's equally indispensable for parents thrust into coaching, former players taking on their first coaching assignments, and veteran coaches.

This great guide features:

• Tackling and catching drills for the entire team
• Group and team drills for offensive, defensive, and special team situations
• A unique system of paired drills and instruction for wide receivers and defensive backs; linemen and tight ends; and running backs and linebackers
• Photographs and diagrams that simplify the coaching process

101 Agility Drills (101 Drills)

Patrick McHenry, Joel Raether

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Agiltiy book review 4 out of 5 stars.
10 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This is a good book to develop quick feet and agility. The only disappointing chapter was the one on dot drills. I would have liked a few more drills rather than make the letters and numbers. Otherwise it is great for cones, hurdles, and agility ladders. Good purchase!

Okay 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Nice list of drill ideas for various sports. Most are fairly basic, but ok

Editorial Review:

Presents over 100 drills designed to develop an athlete’s ability to stop, start, and change the direction of the body (or body parts) rapidly and in a controlled manner. Each series of drills uses a logical progression to maximize performance, while using minimal and readily-available equipment, including: Boxes, cones, dots, hurdles, and ladders. Each drill is thoroughly explained and illustrated. Ideal for coaches and athletes of all activities and at all skill levels.