Getting to Us: How Great Coaches Make Great Teams

Davis (Wooden: A Coach’s Life) gives readers an intimate insider’s perspective on what it takes to succeed in high-stakes coaching positions. The answer, he believes, lies in the ability to convert disparate individuals on a team into a cohesive “Us” through what Davis calls a PEAK profile: persistence in tasks, empathy for players, authenticity in style, and knowledge of craft. Davis interviewed nine coaches (all men) who fit that profile, and devotes a concise chapter to each one. He takes readers into the coaches’ personal lives; for example, Urban Meyer’s anxiety and health issues forced him to temporarily retire as head coach of the University of Florida football team, but his “sabbatical taught him the importance of living a balanced life and conserving energy,” and he later shared these lessons with his players. Many coaches brought knowledge from previous jobs or experiences: Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney credits his brief tenure as a commercial real estate developer with helping him understand how to oversee a large operation, while Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo learned the value of hard work and attention to detail as a kid tending the counter in his family’s shoe repair shop. This refreshing look into the complex lives of coaches will appeal to an audience far wider than hardcore sports fans.[em] (Mar.) [/em]