13 notable football coaches' autobiographies

Actually, Spurrier isn't new to autobiographies. Zondervan published this book in 1968, two years after he won the Heisman Trophy and while he was a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. CBS college football writer Jon Solomon found the title ironic after Spurrier resigned as Gamecocks coach. "As it turns out, though, it's never too late to quit," he wrote. Ouch. http://bit.ly/spurrier_book

The former Colts and Buccaneers head coach is known for his, well, quiet strength. True to form, his autobiography talks little about his family or private life, with one notable exception — "Dungy discusses the effects of this tragedy on his life and on his family, dealing honestly and biblically with the pain and suffering James’ death brought to him," reviewer Tim Challies notes.

The former Minnesota coach recounts his early years playing for and working under Dennis Franchione, guiding the Gophers to a New Year's Day bowl game and being named Big Ten Coach of the Year. He also writes of his decision to walk away from his job because of his health, and his dedication to cancer and epilepsy awareness.

Wood mainly ran a variant of the single wing formation, called “Warren Woodson Wing T” and rode it to a 396–91–15 record over 43 seasons at seven Texas high schools. A description of the book on Amazon bills Wood as the winningest football coach ever. Close. But the next guy on the list has something to say about that.

The Summerville High School's longtime coach won 622-155-13 and 10 state championships. He also wrote two memoirs, both with Billy G. Baker. His first, "Called to Coach," included a foreword by author Pat Conroy, who played against McKissick's Green Wave while at Beaufort High School.

Wood's book description usurps McKissick's claim as the game's winningest coach; then another coaching legend riffs on his book title. Bobby Bowden's tome reflects on 55 years of coaching, his retirement from Florida State, and the tragic 2004 death of his grandson and son in law. This book includes forewords by the late Joe Paterno and the aforementioned Tony Dungy.

Royal led the Texas Longhorns to three national championships and 11 Southwest Conference titles during his 20 years. He tells his life story, from his upbringing in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, to his rivalries with Bear Bryant and Frank Broyles, and his relationship with Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell.

Meyer is a three-time national championship winner — with two titles at Florida and another at Ohio State. But this book is less about the X's and O's he used to lead his teams to victory, more about the psychology he employed. According to the Amazon book description, Meyer explains how to build trust — whether in a team, a family, or a Fortune 500 company.

Nick Saban is arguably the only modern coach with credentials that exceed's Meyer's. This book was written while he was still coach of LSU. (It has since been updated with new cover art.) Like Meyer, Saban dwells on the organization and motivation used to win championships.

This book should be read just for its old-school cover ... but then you'd miss out on the 2007 reissue edition, which features a new introduction and an accompanying audio CD of Bryant himself, in his own voice, talking about his life and football. The Bear won six national titles at Alabama and retired with a then-record 323 wins.

Devine's legend never matched Bryant's, but he finished his coaching career two victories shy of 200 win (college and NFL combined), and he led Notre Dame to the 1977 national title after beating Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

It was another 11 years before Notre Dame won another national title, and it was Lou Holtz who led them there. The well-travelled coach was successful everywhere he stopped, including a stint at the University of South Carolina, his last job as a head coach. Holtz has written or contributed to 10 books, including this one.

Holtz and Spurrier are hardly the only South Carolina coaches with books to their credit. Paul Dietzel, who doubled as the Gamecocks' athletics director from 1966 to 1974, took USC to its first bowl game in 25 years and mandated the recruitment of black athletes in all sports programs. Of course, his book, like Spurrier's dwells more on an earlier stop that made him famous — at LSU, where he won a national championship.