Whether you like college football or Auburn University, you will enjoy Gene Chizik’s book entitled “All In: What it Takes to be the Best.” Coach Chizik has enjoyed a prestigious coaching career but he also has experienced trials and tribulations through his coaching life. Coach Chizik’s life demonstrates that perseverance and hard work pays off and even losses can provide opportunities for growth.
Auburn’s National Championship is certainly a high point in his life but along the way he had his own challenges. Coach Chizik is a main of deep faith and tries to help young people grow into young men their parents would be proud of. Coach Chizik discusses his coaching philosophy in the book but also discusses personal beliefs that can benefit anyone in their chosen profession.
Coach Chizik had a great career as an assistant coach and had been associated with some premiere college football programs. He proved himself as a defensive coordinator for undefeated teams as well as national championship teams. He learned from his mentors and coaches he worked with along the way. A mark of a great man is to learn from the mistakes of others as well as their triumphs. This book certainly helps shed some light on the life of “big time” college football and the men that spend their lives trying to land that one great job that can define a career.
For those that may not be football fans this book still has a lot to offer. How many times have you experienced mountain top experiences only to be brought down to earth by disappointment in your own career. When disappointment occurs Coach Chizik explains the right way to handle it and how faith can overcome disappointment. Coach Chizik was a hot commodity in the coaching profession and took over an Iowa State job that was not the high profile job many expected from him. In spite of doing things the right way his record was only 5-19 and many thought his head coaching career was over, or at least was injured in such a way as to eliminate him from contention for the top jobs in college football. One of the best quotes in the book is, “God is bigger than 5-19.”
Coach Chizik continued to do the right things on and off the football field and never wavered in his desire to honor God with his life. In a surprise decision Auburn University decided to name Coach Gene Chizik as their head coach after the departure of Tommy Tuberville. Many Auburn fans questioned this decision, but Coach Chizik knew he was the right man for the job and the performance on the field certainly exonerates the Auburn University administration’s decision.
Coach Chizik relies on hard work and personal growth to produce fine young men that can also play a little football. One of Coach Chizik’s trademarks is to have a team chaplain which he says is a crucial part of his program. Coach Chizik took some heat at Iowa State for hiring a team chaplain, but it has been a very successful decision at Auburn and other programs.
Coach Chizik’s book shows that success is not always measure by victories. Even for professions where your successes and failures are not displayed on national television the lesson that you should continue to do what you know is right in spite of the perception of others is certainly a life lesson that rings true. This book is certainly a great book and has to be considered on of the best inspirational books of the year.