AFM RSS Feed Follow Us on Twitter       
AMERICAN FOOTBALL MONTHLY THE #1 RESOURCE FOR FOOTBALL COACHES
ABOUT |  CONTACT |  ADVERTISE |  HELP  



   User Name    Password 
      Password Help





Article Categories


AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Letter from the Editor

Everything You\'d Ever Want in a Coach ... Tom Landry
© More from this issue

Click for Printer Friendly Version          

I always liked Tom Landry. I liked everything he stood for in life: character, calmness in the face of turmoil, confidence and a steely determination to win. In reading the many accounts of his life and career since his death on Feb. 12, I understood that much of what I do not like about many current coaches is because of what I did like about Landry.

I have never liked the type of coach who screams at officials, throws his headset and completely loses his cool during a game or at halftime. While many of these coaches are successful, I have never and never will respect that type of leadership. I think it sets a poor example. Landry was the antithesis of this type of coach. He once said, "If you ever saw me being a cheerleader on the sidelines, that would mean I was only watching, instead of thinking." And during a career that lasted for more than 30 years, Landry was never accused of not thinking.

Landry was, in many ways, a paradox. A quiet man in a rough-and-tumble sport. A coach who dressed in conservative business suits in a world filled with golf shirts and sweat pants. A devout Christian, with a fondness for iced tea and Dr. Pepper, in an arena filled with cussing, beer, drugs and less-than-strict morals.

But in virtually every way imaginable, he was a coach's coach.

His quiet demeanor was sometimes mistaken for aloofness or softness. He best addressed this by once saying, "This game is played with heart. . . you don't have to drink or swear or hit people in the face when they're not looking, but you have to be tough to win." And toughness was one thing Landry had an abundance of during his career.

Surely, it was not easy to lead by example for over 20 years; to never utter cuss words or demean players by name in front of their teammates; to live a life that day after day served as a shining example for thousands of athletes. Yet Coach Landry understood leadership and what a real leader is. He said, "Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence in seeing how you react ... if you're in control, they're in control."

Tom Landry will be missed, as will his style of coaching the hearts and minds of his players as well as the Xs and Os of their positions.

The next time you feel like yelling during a game at an official or at a player who missed an assignment, think of the man in the hat. The man whose spirit and character made Dallas America's team much more so than any player who ever put on a Cowboys' uniform.

Goodbye, Coach. The game is poorer without you.

Sincerely yours,

Barry Terranova
Publisher






NEW BOOK!

AFM Videos Streaming Memberships Now Available Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach



















HOME
MAGAZINE
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE COLUMNISTS COACHING VIDEOS


Copyright 2024, AmericanFootballMonthly.com
All Rights Reserved