In this XPS Monday Series, we are reviewing another book worth reading for coaches and athletes by Nick Saban, winner of seven national championships.

Nick Saban is the Head Football Coach at the University of Alabama and his book, How Good Do You Want to Be?: A Champion’s Tips on How to Lead and Succeed at Work and in Life is amongst the very best that coaches should read, regardless of your sport or the level you’re currently coaching at. 

As head football coach since 2007, Saban has had an impressive career. He started out as a defensive back player at Kent State University in 1970 and since then has worked in various coaching positions in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). 

Saban is known for leading the Alabama Crimson Tide football team to seven national championships (2003, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020). His team has also won numerous SEC and SEC Western Division championships. He’s won dozens of awards and was fortunate to be mentored personally by Don James, a coaching legend after James convinced him to join the Kent State coaching team. 

Let’s see what this book has in store for coaches . . . 

Why should coaches read How Good Do You Want To Be?

Nick Saban is one of those coaches who puts process before everything. He says: “In my three decades of coaching, I’ve learned that the process is much more important than the result.”

He urges coaches, in their professional careers (and life), to create a mission statement and then to consistently follow up with hard work and determination. “The major by-product of creating a mission statement and vision for you or your organization is that it creates a culture of expectations. If you have clearly defined who you are and where you want to go, then there is no longer any need for debate about it… everyone knows what to expect.”

Echoing the philosophies of Bill Walsh (the score takes care of itself), he encourages players and coaches to stop focusing on the scoreboard on winning and instead focus on what they can do right now to make a difference: “Every time you think of winning the national championship—stop. Instead, think of what you have to do to dominate your opponent for sixty minutes.”

The world coaches and athletes operate in now is far removed from the one Saban was taught, trained, and grew up in. These days, people expect instant results. We live in a world of instant gratification, and when the going gets tough, younger people are more inclined to throw in the towel. 

Saban encourages coaches to train their athletes to expect difficulties to maintain focus and effort even when they don’t get the results they want straight away. He says: “Your disposition and expectations about what it will take to get you where you want to go are truly the core of not getting frustrated by the task at hand. Expect it to be hard.”

Most of all, maintaining focus means: “Worry[ing] about the things that you can control in your life, both professionally and personally. Spend your time working on what you can control—your actions, words, and emotions. There’s an old saying that points out that you can’t do much about how hard the wind is blowing, but you can adjust your sails.”

Lots of brilliant advice from a coach who’s been there, done that, and won numerous championships!

Key Takeaways: Nick Saban’s How Good Do You Want To Be?

One final lesson from Nick Saban is on creating a culture of success and togetherness even during difficult times: “It’s easy to keep everyone content and working hard when things are going well—but it’s when things go bad that a team’s character is revealed… A team that falls apart was never truly a team—there was never trust.”

Overall, this book is well worth reading. Not only for those wanting to improve their approach to coaching but as it’s filled with philosophies for success in life, too. 

Some of the most important takeaways from this book include: 

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