Coach Lou Holtz

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.

Here are a few quotes from legendary coach Lou Holtz. The application of these principles to your own life and development are self-evident:

Choices Count

: “When you accept the fact that you are in your present condition, good or bad, because of the choices you have made - you will then find yourself capable of changing your situation by making better choices in the future.”

Respect

: “What I didn’t realize was that authority comes with the job: respect was what I needed to earn, and you earn respect only by proving yourself as a leader.”

Faith

: “Before joining the Notre Dame family, I heard a lot about the spirit of Notre Dame, but I wasn’t sure what that meant. The people were spiritual, and the leaders of the university were driven by the Holy Spirit, of that I had no doubt. But I wasn’t convinced the campus itself held anything spiritual.

Then, in my first year, I made an interesting observation. I realized that if you don’t believe in the omnipresent spirit of Notre Dame, you never feel it. I made up my mind that I was going to believe in this spirit. The moment I started believing, I started feeling it. And the feeling never left.”

Team Members

: “My philosophy is to recruit attitude over athleticism, and an aptitude for hard work over natural ability.”

Personal Responsibility

: “Before you start blaming others, look at yourself. You will find you need to look no further for the cause of the problem.”

Problems

: “Don’t tell your problems to people – eighty percent don’t care; and the other twenty percent are glad you have them.”

Adversity

: “Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”

Personal Change

: “The only thing that’s going to change you from where you are now to where you’ll be five years from now are the books you read, the people you meet, and the dreams you dream.”