Sports coaches come in all shapes and sizes. Many display a fiery desire to win that often outweighs that of the players they lead, while others are comparatively quiet figures who contemplate tactics and strategies in a reserved manner. Some coaches shy away from the spotlight, preferring to focus solely on the game, while others are larger-than-life characters who like to stamp their personalities upon a team in a very public manner.
Take, for example, the ever-confident soccer coach José Mourinho, who famously dubbed himself the “Special One” when he arrived in the English Premier League — a stark contrast to the words of NFL legend John Madden, who memorably said, “Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.”
Mourinho and Madden may be like apples and oranges, but they both rank among the greatest sports coaches of all time. Here are some more quotes from highly successful coaches, all of whom share one thing in common: the ability to motivate their players to ever-greater heights.
Failure is good. It’s fertilizer. Everything I’ve learned about coaching, I’ve learned from making mistakes.Rick Pitino, basketball coach
Each person holds so much power within themselves that it needs to be let out.Pete Carroll, football coach
Talent is God-given, be humble. Fame is man-given, be thankful. Conceit is self-given, be careful.John Wooden, basketball coach
Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat him as he could be, and he will become what he should be.Jimmy Johnson, football coach
After the last out of every loss, I must accept that there will be a tomorrow. In fact, it's more than there'll be a tomorrow, it's that I want there to be a tomorrow … I want tomorrow to come.Sparky Anderson, baseball manager and coach
If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives.Vince Lombardi, football coach
I always say you should be very careful with the voices you listen to. And my closest voices have always told me, “You can.”Becky Hammon, basketball coach
Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.George Halas, football coach
Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.Dan Gable, wrestling coach
Endure, put up with whatever comes your way, learn to overcome weakness and pain, push yourself to the breaking point, but never cave in.Toni Nadal, tennis coach
Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it.Bear Bryant, football coach
You can motivate by fear, and you can motivate by reward. But both those methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self-motivation.Homer Rice, football coach
Do your best when no one is looking. If you do that, then you can be successful in anything that you put your mind to.Bob Cousy, basketball coach
The experience of defeat, or more particularly the manner in which a leader reacts to it, is an essential part of what makes a winner.Alex Ferguson, soccer coach
You can’t always be the most talented person in the room, but you can be the most competitive.Pat Summitt, basketball coach
Featured image credit: Otto Greule Jr/ Hulton Archive via Getty Images
