Many leaders have played sports at some point in their lives; many still do so for recreation and wellbeing. Many of us remember a special coach from our youth who instilled life lessons beyond excellence on the field, the pitch, the court, or the ice. They challenged us to be the best we could be by continually improving. They pulled us together as a team, where the success of each depended on the success of all – and vice versa. They might have yelled at us or expressed disappointment when they knew we did not play our best. Their lessons provided a playbook for our future in the business world that was better than many self-help books on leadership.
I lead a university known for developing and launching coaches into careers; in fact, we are known as the ‘Cradle of Coaches.’ When I take a morning run at the stadium, I visit the statues of coaches past and present, including Super Bowl-winning champions and other well-known winners at the collegiate level. As I reflect on their leadership beyond their winning record, I learn valuable lessons for my own career, which in turn informs my leadership journey. I have never met most of them, but I often reflect on their excellence, life, and the leadership lessons they provide to me. Here are a few examples.
Earl Blaik – The Servant Leader
Earl “Red” Blaik (1897-1989) won three national championships during his 17 seasons at West Point. He innovated the two-platoon system – separate squads for office and defense – and was an early adopter of play-by-play analysis using game film. He also mentored his assistant coaches so effectively that 20 of them went on to become head coaches. That teaches me something about succession planning, great mentorship, and servant-leadership – championing
your team member’s opportunities for growth and supporting their efforts to achieve their aspirations. Blaik’s unselfish approach led to success for himself, his team, and many others who went on to become leaders across the country.
Paul Brown – The Innovator
Paul Brown (1908-1991) was the head coach and co-founder of the Cleveland Browns, then founded the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was head coach and president. He won three NFL championships and is among the most innovative coaches ever in the field of sports. He was credited with inventing the draw play, the practice (taxi) squad, the playbook, radio communication in helmets, face mask improvements, and game film in scouting. Business leadership calls for such creativity – he conceived the draw play after seeing the potential in a botched backfield play. Opportunities for innovation are everywhere for leaders who learn from Brown’s openness and ingenuity.
Ara Parseghian – The Stabilizer
Ara Parseghian (1923-2017) won two national championships coaching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was known for his strong defenses built on his deep understanding of the opponent. Business success depends on understanding the competition in order to protect your brand and market share. After his coaching career, a rare disease, Niemann-Pick type C, took three of his four young grandchildren. He founded the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation with his son and daughter-in-law to raise money and awareness for a cure (https://www.parseghian.org/).
Carmen Cozza – The Mentor
Carm Cozza (1930-2018) was head football coach at Yale University for 31 years and won 10 Ivy League championships. He played football under Coach Ara Parseghian, and his own focus on mentoring gave him a reputation as the “teacher-coach.” Cozza went to Yale in 1963 as an assistant to his former teammate John Pont and took the head coaching job two years later. His long tenure gave him a sustained vision, strategic consistency, and deeper organizational trust – valuable qualities for any leader, especially in business. It gave Cozza an edge in planning execution, stakeholder relationships, cultural stability, and talent recruiting. His perseverance built his success.
Wilbur Ewbank -– The Builder
Wilbur “Weeb” Ewbank (1907-1998) won two NFL championships as head coach of the Baltimore Colts and one Super Bowl as head coach with the New York Jets. He is perhaps best known for coaching the Colts against the New York Giants in the “greatest game ever played” the televised 1958 championship the Colts under quarterback Johnny Unitas came back to win in sudden-death overtime. Eubank later went to the Jets and recruited quarterback Joe Namath, who said he wanted to be led by the coach who developed Unitas. In a stunning upset against Unitas and the Colts, the Jets won Super Bowl III. Ewbank’s career is a lesson in team building for business leaders and evidence that a second act can be successful. His determination is an inspiration.
hese are just a few of the coaches in the Cradle of Coaches. Others are Paul Dietzel, John Harbaugh, John Pont, Bo Schembechler, Thomas Van Voorhis, and Sean McVay, each with their own model of leadership to motivate us. I became close with one, Coach Ara Parseghian, and collaborated with him on the fight against Niemann-Pick. But beyond their fame and winning records, I have learned valuable lessons in leadership from the virtues, values, and strategies all of them displayed.
As sports fans, we enjoy the game and keep track of scores, standings, and memorable moments from the past. As leaders, we can appreciate the personal virtues and values of legendary coaches who led those teams to victory while preparing their players for life. We can learn from them – from the past leaders in many fields whose statues and memorials enrich our landscape. Learning the stories of those individuals behind the history headlines and incorporating their excellence into our own leadership can accelerate our success. I am still learning from those who stand on our campus as paragons of leadership.
Gregory Crawford is President of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
