Greatest Coach Quotes of All Time

These famous coach quotes inspired generations of athletes.

Nothing great is ever achieved without tremendous leadership. That leadership can take multiple forms in sports. Whether focused on strategy, work ethic, pure enthusiasm or level-headedness, the profound words of great leaders have led teams to historic achievements.

The best coaches have different styles, but they’re all winners who are summed up best in their own words. Their words can grab players at the core and allow them to achieve their best.

These coach quotes demonstrate the ethos of what makes champions tick. They are the greatest coach quotes of all time.

25. Always Give Your Best

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Quote: “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”

Who said it: George Halas

Years active: 1920-67

Sport: Football (NFL)

Teams: Decatur Staleys/Chicago Staleys/Chicago Bears

Bottom Line: George Halas

Dozier Mobley / AP Photo

George Halas was one of the early greats of head coaching, leading the Chicago Bears to an NFL championship in just his second season at the helm in 1921.

He followed that up with four more championships over the next two decades, including three in a four-season span in the 1940s.

This quote truly speaks to his determination, as his teams had no titles and only one playoff appearance from 1947 to 1962, until he finally won another title in 1963.

24. Respect Is Earned

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Quote: “You don’t demand respect. You earn it.”

Who said it: Steve Seidler

Years active: 1979-87

Sport: Basketball (college)

Teams: Oregon State (assistant)

Bottom Line: Steve Seidler

1980-81 Oregon State men's basketball team

Oregon State Men’s Basketball / Facebook

Steve Seidler may not be a household name, but the former assistant coach at Oregon State spoke the truth about respect.

Credited with this iconic quote, Seidler perfectly sums up the effort needed to excel. Reputation will only get an athlete so far, and respect on the court (or any playing field) is not given lightly, especially in Corvallis, Oregon.

Seidler wrote “A System of Game Execution” based on the high-pressure system of Ralph Miller’s teams, which won the coach a total of 657 games, placing him seventh on the all-time coaching wins list at the time of his retirement.

23. Know Your Role

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Quote: “If you’re going to have a team of role players, then you better have a team of players who truly understand their roles.”

Who said it: Steve Kerr

Years active: 2014-present

Sport: Basketball (NBA)

Teams: Golden State Warriors

Bottom Line: Steve Kerr

David J. Phillip / AP Photo

Steve Kerr would know this better than anyone. As a player and a coach for two of the most dominant teams of their eras, it was his role to manage his own ego, along with others.

As a player, Kerr’s role was to hit open threes when Michael Jordan kicked out, and despite a notable scuffle, he embraced it. As a coach of a team with four All-Stars, Kerr had to manage the egos of others.

With nine NBA Championships under his belt, he knows what he’s talking about.

22. Who Wants to Be a Hero?

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Quote: “Adversity is an opportunity for heroism.”

Who said it: Marv Levy

Years active: 1958-97

Sport: Football (College and NFL)

Teams: New Mexico, California, William & Mary, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, Montreal Alouettes, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Blitz, Buffalo Bills

Bottom Line: Marv Levy

Bill Sikes / AP Photo

This quote is dripping with irony, and Levy’s Buffalo Bills teams epitomized it. In the midst of four consecutive runs to the Super Bowl, with each resulting in a loss, Levy uttered the famous line.

You can’t blame him for this mindset, and the Bills’ achievement is simultaneously one of the most fantastic and tragic in sports history. His team had four opportunities for heroism and failed each time.

But the ability to get back up and make the Super Bowl again showed adversity wouldn’t get in their way.

21. Just Keep Moving Forward

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Quote: “Failures are expected by losers, ignored by winners.”

Who said it: Joe Gibbs

Years active: 1964-92, 2004-07

Sport: Football (College and NFL)

Teams: San Diego State, Florida State, Southern California, Arkansas, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins

Bottom Line: Joe Gibbs

Edmonds / AP Photo

The three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Gibbs experienced more than his fair share of failures over the course of his 40-plus-year coaching career.

His career record of 181-108 confirms there were some years that didn’t go according to plan, but by ignoring those failures, he was able to lead his teams to greatness in the end.

The Hall of Famer also founded Joe Gibbs Racing, which has become one of the premier racing teams in the sport of NASCAR.

20. People Are on Counting on You

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Quote: “Do your job.”

Who said it: Bill Belichick

Years active: 1975-present

Sport: Football (NFL)

Teams: Baltimore Colts, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, New England Patriots

Bottom Line: Bill Belichick

Matt Slocum / AP Photo

Bill Belichick is a man of few words with the media, but this mantra has rung true throughout BillBelichick’s tenure in New England.

Carving out the most impressive two-decade run in modern football, Belichick’s focus on the position-by-position details has been key to the Patriots’ success.

Always drilling the idea of just “do your job” into his players and coaches, Belichick has built a culture of accountability and supreme locker-room cohesiveness.

19. Let’s Get Fired Up

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Quote: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

Who said it: Bobby Knight

Years active: 1962-2008

Sport: Basketball (High School and College)

Teams: Cuyahoga Falls High School, Army, Indiana, Texas Tech

Bottom Line: Bobby Knight

Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

Say what you will about Bob Knight, but the man achieved unprecedented greatness coaching college basketball.

Despite some archaic tactics, the drill sergeant of a coach routinely got the most out of his players at Indiana. Enthusiasm was never Knight’s problem, as incident after incident can demonstrate.

The irony is that “enthusiasm” ultimately resulted in his exile.

18. Time to Go to Work

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Quote: “Nothing will work unless you do.”

Who said it: John Wooden

Years active: 1946-75

Sport: Basketball (College)

Teams: Indiana State, UCLA

Bottom Line: John Wooden

AP Photo

There is nothing to say about John Wooden that could be better fitting than the words of his former players.

Wholesome and motivated, Wooden led the greatest dynasty in college sports history at UCLA. He never cursed, never derided his players, but expected the same respect from his players that he gave to them.

It was through that respect that he was able to inspire his players to work hard and achieve the near impossible.

17. It’s Not Easy to Build Something From the Ground Up

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Quote: “Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple.”

Who said it: Barry Switzer

Years active: 1961-88, 1994-97

Sport: Football (College and NFL)

Teams: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Dallas Cowboys

Bottom Line: Barry Switzer

Mark Foley / AP Photo

Barry Switzer was the perfecter of the wishbone offense at Oklahoma and knew what it took to build something from the ground up.

A former offensive lineman and linebacker at Arkansas, Switzer understood the value of hard work and wouldn’t tolerate any entitlement from his players.

It’s partly why he only lasted a few brief years coaching the Cowboys in Dallas. His successor Jimmy Johnson could better relate to the swagger of the modern NFL players.

16. No Guts, No Glory

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Quote: “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”

Who said it: Dan Gable

Years active: 1976-97

Sport: Wrestling (College)

Teams: Iowa

Bottom Line: Dan Gable

Charlie Neibergall / AP Photo

Dan Gable coached the University of Iowa wrestling teams to an unprecedented period of success in three decades, compiling a dual meet record of 355-21-5 with 45 national champions and 12 Olympians.

Gable not only had the right tools to coach wrestlers to greatness, but he’s lauded as being one of the most decorated amateurs in history, winning a gold medal and three national championships.

All that success wasn’t an accident. Gable preached hard work and practiced what he preached.

15. It Takes Hard Work to Become a Champion

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Quote: “I celebrate a victory when I start walking off the field. By the time I get to the locker room, I’m done.”

Who said it: Tom Osborne

Years active: 1964-97

Sport: Football (College)

Teams: Nebraska

Bottom Line: Tom Osborne

Tannen Maury / AP Photo

Nobody outworked Tom Osborne during his more than 30-year career, 25 of which were as the head coach in rural Nebraska.

That’s why this quote is so powerfully steeped in truth. It took work to get Nebraska to that level, and Osborne never lost sight of that.

Appropriately, his third national championship came in his final game, a trouncing of Peyton Manning’s Tennessee Volunteers.

14. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Dirty

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Quote: “The road to Easy Street goes through the sewer.”

Who said it: John Madden

Years active: 1960-78

Sport: Football (College and NFL)

Teams: Allan Hancock College, San Diego State, Oakland Raiders

Bottom Line: John Madden

AP Photo

John Madden is often regarded as a bit of a punchline these days for various late-night segments and obvious statements on commentary. But he was no joke as a coach.

Prior to his fame for having the most famous football video game named after him, Madden led the most successful period in Las Vegas Raiders history when they played in Oakland.

He retired at a young age (42) due to the working conditions under Al Davis with a .759 career winning percentage and one Super Bowl title.

13. Never Quit

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Quote: “Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit.”

Who said it: Bear Bryant

Years active: 1936-82

Sport: Football (College)

Teams: Union, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Georgia Pre-Flight, North Carolina Pre-Flight, Maryland, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Alabama

Bottom Line: Bear Bryant

AP Photo

The man who pioneered the Alabama dynasty never let the idea of quitting enter his mind. In a storied 50-year career, Bryant only lost 85 games, while winning 323 games and seven national championships in the process.

Bryant built a successful career at Kentucky and Texas A&M, winning championships at both schools before turning Alabama into the absolute powerhouse it continues to be more than 30 years after his exit.

12. All That Blood, Sweat and Tears Is Worth It

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Quote: “The only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

Who said it: Vince Lombardi

Years active: 1939-69

Sport: Football (High School, College, NFL)

Teams: St. Cecilia High School, Fordham, Army, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins

Bottom Line: Vince Lombardi

AP Photo

This one may sound a bit cheesy for someone with the stature of Vince Lombardi, but it still rings true, illustrating the tireless work ethic needed to become a champion.

Nobody can question Lombardi’s success in professional football, and because of that, this quote has been regurgitated by coaches all across the country for the better part of the last 50 years.

11. Push Yourself to the Limit

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Quote: “Without that sacrifice, you’ll never know your team’s potential, or your own.”

Who said it: Pat Riley

Years active: 1979-90, 1991-2003, 2005-08

Sport: Basketball (NBA)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat

Bottom Line: Pat Riley

Ron Frehm / AP Photo

The author of “Disease of Me,” Riley has long preached the mentality that winning is all about sacrifice.

In that telling book, Riley reveals the real secret to winning and the problems that arise once the success comes: players want more minutes, more money, more fame, more credit.

The Disease of Me is unavoidable, but it can be postponed by those truly determined to succeed.

10. The Only Constant Is Change

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Quote: “Your problems never cease. They just change.”

Who said it: Phil Jackson

Years active: 1978-2004, 2005-11

Sport: Basketball (NBA, CBA, Puerto Rico)

Teams: New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Albany Patroons, Piratas de Quebradillas, Gallitos de Isabela, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers

Bottom Line: Phil Jackson

Beth A. Keiser / AP Photo

Coaching two of the most successful basketball dynasties of the last 30 years, Phil Jackson was never one for superfluous wordplay. He kept his messages short and cryptic, and his players on his toes.

Even throughout all that success with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, he endured personality challenges, in-fighting on teams and handled massive egos.

This even-keeled perspective is what kept Jackson focused on the bigger picture, knowing that success would bring a new set of challenges.

9. Adapt or You’ll Get Left Behind

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Quote: “The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions.”

Who said it: Mike Krzyzewski

Years active: 1974-present

Sport: Basketball (College)

Teams: Indiana, Army, Duke

Bottom Line: Mike Krzyzewski

David Breslauer / AP Photo

Mike Krzyzewski was the first Division I head basketball coach to tally 1,000 wins, and there is no disputing Coach K’s supreme level of success.

He continues to follow his own advice as well. Duke’s basketball team’s used to be built on players who stuck around at least three years, but once the program endured a downswing in the early 2000s, the program changed course and fully embraced today’s style of one-and-done players.

This adjustment has led to another dominant era of basketball in Durham, North Carolina.

8. The Difference Between Winning and Succeeding

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Quote: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

Who said it: John Wooden

Years active: 1946-75

Sport: Basketball

Teams: Indiana State, UCLA

Bottom Line: John Wooden

In this March 24, 1969, file photo, UCLA coach John Wooden is flanked by Sidney Wicks, right, and Lew Alcindor, draped with basket ropes, after the UCLA team beat Purdue 92-72 to win the NCAA basketball title for the third consecutive year, in Louisville, Ky. AP Photo

Perhaps the most universally beloved winning coach in history, John Wooden enjoyed an unprecedented amount of success at UCLA, at one point winning nine titles in 10 years.

Renowned for his short, simple motivational messages to players, he was able to relate across socio-economic lines and cultural background.

The proof of this was his lifelong friendships with former players Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

7. Stay Focused, Stay Humble

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Quote: “When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less.”

Who said it: Paul Brown

Years active: 1930-62, 1968-75

Sport: Football (High School, College, NFL)

Teams: Severn School, Massillon Washington High School, Ohio State, Great Lakes Navy, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals

Bottom Line: Paul Brown

AP Photo

The message here is clear: Stay humble.

Paul Brown coached the Cleveland Browns to four AAFC titles and a trio of NFL championships in the 1950s. He never got wrapped up in his team’s successes, and those seven titles are proof of that humility.

Adding to his legacy are the successes of his assistants, future coaching greats such as Don Shula, Webb Ewbank, Bill Walks and Chuck Noll.

6. Learn From Your Mistakes

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Quote: “The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others.”

Who said it: Don Shula

Years active: 1960-95

Sport: Football (College and NFL)

Teams: Virginia, Kentucky, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins

Bottom Line: Don Shula

AP Photo

Before Bill Belichick, Don Shula held the trophy as the most dominant, successful NFL coach of all time by most standards.

Shula was the head coach on the wrong side of perhaps the greatest upset in the sport’s history in Super Bowl III, but Shula learned from his mistakes, leaving the Colts and taking the lessons learned to Miami.

The resulting 25 years with the Dolphins, which was Shula’s next and final stop in his coaching career, brought about some of the most success any NFL franchise has enjoyed.

5. That Little Extra Can Make All the Difference

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Quote: “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”

Who said it: Jimmy Johnson

Years active: 1965-93, 1996-99

Sport: Football (High School, College and NFL)

Teams: Louisiana Tech, Picayune Memorial High School, Wichita State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Miami, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins

Bottom Line: Jimmy Johnson

Ron Heflin / AP Photo

This is one that’s been repeated time and time again in sports, but we’ll give Jimmy Johnson the credit for it here.

Heading up a dominant Miami Hurricanes college program in the mid-1980s, Johnson brought that extra something to an area of the country that craved it desperately.

He did the same when he went to the Cowboys, until Jerry Jones decided he wanted a puppet as the head coach. And Jones’ lack of success with “ordinary” head coaches is pretty evident.

4. Forget Potential. Deal in Reality.

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Quote: “An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise.”

Who said it: Red Auerbach

Years active: 1946-66

Sport: Basketball (High School, BAA, NBA)

Teams: St. Albans School, Roosevelt High School, Washington Capitols, Tri-Cities Blackhawks, Boston Celtics

Bottom Line: Red Auerbach

AP Photo

One of the most decorated coaches in any sport, Red Auerbach captured a fairly modern sentiment decades ahead of its time. Potential is one of the most overpromised and underdelivered realities of sports.

Auerbach had no time for the idea of what a player could be, as no coach should. All he dealt with were the realities of what he saw on the floor. Did it help that he had some of the most talented teams ever? Sure.

That doesn’t make this statement any less true, especially today.

3. Don’t Get Too High or Too Low

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Quote: “Success isn’t permanent, and failure isn’t fatal.”

Who said it: Mike Ditka

Years active: 1973-99

Sport: Football (NFL)

Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints

Bottom Line: Mike Ditka

In this Jan. 26, 1986, file photo, Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka is carried off the field by Steve McMichael, left, and William Perry after the Bears defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX in New Orleans. Phil Sandlin / AP Photo

Never at a loss for words, the iconic coach Mike Ditka frequently found the motivational poetic lexicon to get his players fired up.

Ditka knew these words better than anyone as coach of one of the most dominant NFL teams ever, the 1985 Chicago Bears, who, despite their dominance, only managed to win one title.

Never to be deterred, Ditka returned to coaching in New Orleans and acquired Ricky Williams to revitalize football in the Bayou.

2. Little Things Make Big Things Happen

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Quote: “If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them day in and day out.”

Who said it: Chuck Noll

Years active: 1960-91

Sport: Football (NFL)

Teams: Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bottom Line: Chuck Noll

AP Photo

The steady head man at the helm of the “Steel Curtain” defenses in Pittsburgh, Chuck Noll knew a thing or two about what it took to win.

In 22 years as the man in charge, Noll led his teams to four Super Bowl wins and never lost the big game.

Throughout that time he saw dozens of Hall of Fame players walk through the door, and he knew that dedication and consistency produced championships.

1. Never Lose the Will to Win

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Quote: “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing. If you can shrug off a loss, you can never be a winner!”

Who said it: Vince Lombardi

Years active: 1939-69

Sport: Football (High School, College, NFL)

Teams: St. Cecilia High School, Fordham, Army, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins

Bottom Line: Vince Lombardi

AP Photo

The original winner of the modern NFL and the namesake for its most treasured prize, Vince Lombardi captured the essence of the game in three succinct sentences.

Those who dwell on losses can never be champions, as losses are learning and teachable moments for coaches. This quote is often cut off after the statement about winning, which doesn’t give Lombardi enough credit for the long-term perspective he showed in his role.