🏈 Book Review: Coaching, by Knute Rockne

[It Takes Eleven]

Several months ago, I was making my way through a rural stretch of South Carolina following a typically taxing meeting with bankers and I ran across a small town antique mall. I love browsing through booths of antique and vintage items and I buy things that fit with my tastes from time to time. When I encounter a booth with old books, I usually spend a little time there looking for certain titles for a little manly library I'm trying to build. In this town, I found an old book with the title Coaching and author Knute Rockne. It's pretty worn, but it was in good condition for the copyright of 1925, and the $2 price was too good to pass up.

It's a fascinating read. Although much has changed in the game, it's amazing how much of the mechanics of the game remain similar, and how even more relevant his observations are today. In discussions of position players, his chapter on the quarterback is great - "First of all, he must be a leader, a fellow with personality. Second, he must be chesty, of that breed we call "cocky". Rockne also noted that the QB should be "the boss of the situation". He includes 63 "hints" for a QB to remember, including the famous "When in doubt, punt", but also "Observe all the time, see all," and "Be boss on offense, you run the team."

I checked on Amazon to see if the book was still in print, and all they had was one used copy of the 1925 edition for $64.

RTR,

Tim

 

[TerryP]

Second, he must be chesty, of that breed we call "cocky"

I wonder if Les Miles has read this book, or just a few quotes.

It fits with his comments following Gunner Kiel's decision not to attend LSU.

 

[PhillyGirl]

Sounds like a fascinating read. Weird to think that's almost a hundred years ago. What a neat story behind finding it! Ya never know what you can find at antique shops.