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Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Winning Championships and Building Dynasties in the NFL
Former NFL general manager and three-time Super Bowl winner Michael Lombardi reveals what makes football organizations tick at the championship level. From personnel to practice to game-day decisions that win titles, Lombardi shares what he learned working with coaching legends Bill Walsh of the 49ers, Al Davis of the Raiders, and Bill Belichick of the Patriots, among others, during his three decades in football.
Why do some NFL franchises dominate year after year while others can never crack the code of success? For 30 years Michael Lombardi had a front-row seat and full access as three titans--Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick--reinvented the game, turning it into a national obsession while piling up Super Bowl trophies. Now, in Gridiron Genius, Lombardi provides the blueprint that makes a successful organization click and win--and the mistakes unsuccessful organizations make that keep them on the losing side time and again.
In reality, very few coaches understand the philosophies, attention to detail, and massive commitment that defined NFL juggernauts like the 49ers and the Patriots. The best organizations are not just employing players, they are building something bigger. Gridiron Genius will explain how the best leaders evaluate, acquire, and utilize personnel in ways other professional minds, football and otherwise, won't even contemplate. How do you know when to trade a player? How do you create a positive atmosphere when everyone is out to maximize his own paycheck? And why is the tight end like the knight on a chessboard?
To some, game planning consists only of designing an attack for the next opponent. But Lombardi explains how the smartest leaders script everything: from an afternoon's special-teams practice to a season's playoff run to a decade-long organizational blueprint. Readers will delight in the Lombardi tour of an NFL weekend, including what really goes on during the game on and off the field and inside the headset. First stop: Belichick's Saturday night staff meeting, where he announces how the game will go the next day. Spoiler alert: He always nails it.
Football dynasties are built through massive attention to detail and unwavering commitment. From how to build a team, to how to watch a game, to understanding the essential qualities of great leaders, Gridiron Genius gives football fans the knowledge to be the smartest person in the room every Sunday.
Why do some NFL franchises dominate year after year while others can never crack the code of success? For 30 years Michael Lombardi had a front-row seat and full access as three titans--Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick--reinvented the game, turning it into a national obsession while piling up Super Bowl trophies. Now, in Gridiron Genius, Lombardi provides the blueprint that makes a successful organization click and win--and the mistakes unsuccessful organizations make that keep them on the losing side time and again.
In reality, very few coaches understand the philosophies, attention to detail, and massive commitment that defined NFL juggernauts like the 49ers and the Patriots. The best organizations are not just employing players, they are building something bigger. Gridiron Genius will explain how the best leaders evaluate, acquire, and utilize personnel in ways other professional minds, football and otherwise, won't even contemplate. How do you know when to trade a player? How do you create a positive atmosphere when everyone is out to maximize his own paycheck? And why is the tight end like the knight on a chessboard?
To some, game planning consists only of designing an attack for the next opponent. But Lombardi explains how the smartest leaders script everything: from an afternoon's special-teams practice to a season's playoff run to a decade-long organizational blueprint. Readers will delight in the Lombardi tour of an NFL weekend, including what really goes on during the game on and off the field and inside the headset. First stop: Belichick's Saturday night staff meeting, where he announces how the game will go the next day. Spoiler alert: He always nails it.
Football dynasties are built through massive attention to detail and unwavering commitment. From how to build a team, to how to watch a game, to understanding the essential qualities of great leaders, Gridiron Genius gives football fans the knowledge to be the smartest person in the room every Sunday.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
320 people are currently reading
1604 people want to read
About the author
Michael Lombardi
1 book67 followersMichael Lombardi was most recently an internal consultant for Bill Belichick in the New England Patriots' front office, after thirty years working for the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland Raiders, and the Cleveland Browns (where he was general manager for two years). He writes a column for The Ringer and appears weekly on Bill Simmons's podcast, as well as his own podcast for The Ringer, The NFL Show.
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February 23, 2022
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
In making preseason predictions as an analyst for 2017 NFL season, Mike Lombardi made a major misstep. It may not have been the biggest mistake of his 35-year association with football but because of the advent of social media it became the most public. He had stated with complete conviction that Doug Pederson, the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, was not qualified to hold that position in the NFL. Pederson’s team would go on to win that year’s Superbowl. As the Eagles paved that road week by week with win after win, Lombardi refused to back off his statement. He had seen no proof that he was wrong. Incompetent coaches can win games if everything else around them is working. Lombardi had made similar comments the year before regarding New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo--who’d ended that season 11-5--and this year he was falling apart before the eyes of the world. Wins alone were not enough to prove that Lombardi was wrong about Pederson. Neither was a winning record. Winning a playoff games was another matter. Immediately after that accomplishment, Lombardi acknowledged that he was wrong, admitted he had underestimated Pederson’s ability to learn the job, and publicly apologized. And to further illustrate that there was no person animus on his part, Lombardi instantly picked the Eagles beat his beloved New England Patriots as soon as the Superbowl participants were determined. To this day, though, that original proclamation still follows Lombardi. Anytime he tweets a statement from a place of experience or authority, up pops a GIF of Pederson celebrating his Superbowl win (or some other form of trolling). Ultimately, there is a reason trolls are so easy to ignore. They don’t understand (or are simply unwilling to understand) that it’s okay if your opinion is wrong. You can’t learn or evolve unless you are willing to risk being wrong. Depending on the consequences involved of course, philosophically it is sometimes actually better to be wrong. It makes the “why” of it easier to find. What hides in the joy of success becomes more obvious to scrutiny born of failure. Gridiron Genius is a tribute to the men who taught Lombardi this lesson, among many others, and he makes that clear from the outset.
This is not an autobiography. Lombardi takes three pages early on to chronicle how his love of football came about and to trace his route to the NFL. Then it’s on to the business at hand. Lombardi had served under three men whose impact on the game is too great to be measured. He was there for most of it. He observed, studied, absorbed and, each time he moved on, imparted these lessons. Now it’s his turn to teach them, and perhaps in doing so extend the legacy of the two gentlemen who are no longer with us. That’s why the book is subtitled A Master Class in Winning Championships and Building Dynasties in the NFL. The Geniuses referenced in the title, the men whose knowledge and innovations are the substance of this book, are Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers head coach; Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders; and Bill Belichick, considered by many the greatest professional football coach who ever lived.
Lombardi gives Al Davis the shortest shrift of the three, but not for the reason many would suspect. In today’s world of shrinking long-term memories and the devaluing of history to the point where the last impression made has become the lasting impression, the image many recall of Davis comes from near the end of life, where his faculties were failing. It’s a misrepresentation of the man Lombardi respected. Davis’ lack of “screen time” is more a matter of chronology. Lombardi happened to work for Walsh first and much of Walsh’s brilliance was built upon knowledge he learned from Davis years earlier. By the time Lombardi had joined Davis’ Raiders, most of his philosophies had been filtered through the genius of Bill Walsh. There were still things to be learned from Davis, just not as much.
Belichick receives the bulk of the attention, as one might expect, though again not for the obvious reason. Yes, there is a certain mystique about the Patriot Way, and anyone who can accurately reveal the inner workings of the organization and the thought processes of Bill Belichick is going to receive notice. But that is merely the end result. Gridiron Genius is about process, about the means by which results are achieved. Lombardi has spent more time by Belichick’s side than that of any of his other mentors and colleagues and, while Belichick may have always been a coach, Lombardi’s duties and responsibilities have varied over the course of their association. They have been given a unique opportunity to see each and every side of each other.
If Belichick becomes the hook that draws people to this book, those readers will not be disappointed, but the inclusion of Walsh and Davis are important. They are currently in danger of being forgotten by the bulk of football fandom. Walsh was much more than the creator of the West Coast Offense. Davis was much more than the eccentric owner of the Oakland Raiders. In much the same light, what Gridiron Genius covers is much more than just X’s and O’s. The principles Lombardi sets forth borrow--to varying degrees--tenets from business, psychology, sociology, and philosophy.
(And by the way, though you don’t need to be an expert on football to enjoy this book, you do need some rudimentary knowledge of the game. Lombardi does not stop to define the basics. For example, if you didn’t know what I meant by X’s and O’s, this book is not for you. Hint: it has nothing to do with Tic-Tac-Toe or Hugs & Kisses.)
Lombardi did not write this book with the strict intention of remaining student-turned-instructor. He makes his own contributions, usually in the form of reprinting research he had been assigned to undertake by one of his mentors, or in clarifications necessitated by the responsibilities of his job or the changing rules of the league. But he also recounts a time when contractual stipulations left him a man without a team. He touches on how interviews and meetings with other organizations happen and how they seldom amount to anything of substance. The rest of his presentations represent conclusions drawn from a lifetime of study. But Lombardi is careful to distinguish his thoughts from those of his subjects. He is also careful to make sure that the book is mostly positive in nature. The only time he calls out individuals is to provide contrast, to further illuminate just how far ahead of everybody else his teachers were. At least until we arrive at Chapter 8. It’s there Gridiron Genius losses its 5-Star rating.
The chapter is called “While I Have You” and it’s where Lombardi expounds on pet peeves and “common strategy mistakes.” Essentially he attempts to shatter widespread fallacies by imparting NFL realities. When these fallacies are held by those currently entrenched in the game, however, you can’t do this without citing specific examples. These examples have names attached. By itself there is a nothing wrong holding a person accountable for their missteps, be they realworld or philosophic, but within the context of this book it opens a door that the reader fully expects Lombardi to enter. He fails to do so. It’s why I began this review with the Doug Pederson situation. If it’s okay to be wrong, if it’s okay to fail, once you start directly pointing out the failure of others, then there’s an implied obligation to address your own. It begs the question, Why did “The Greatest Coach of All-Time” fail when he and Lombardi were in Cleveland? And armed with a bookload of knowledge gained from the sport’s most brilliant minds, why did Lombardi fail when he later returned to Cleveland as a General Manager? I suspect I know the answer. Not to the failures but rather as to why they were not discussed. It’s what happens when the realities of football collide with the realities of publishing. There needs to be material for the next book. And make no mistake, there will be a next book. And I’ll gladly be there when it comes out.
In making preseason predictions as an analyst for 2017 NFL season, Mike Lombardi made a major misstep. It may not have been the biggest mistake of his 35-year association with football but because of the advent of social media it became the most public. He had stated with complete conviction that Doug Pederson, the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, was not qualified to hold that position in the NFL. Pederson’s team would go on to win that year’s Superbowl. As the Eagles paved that road week by week with win after win, Lombardi refused to back off his statement. He had seen no proof that he was wrong. Incompetent coaches can win games if everything else around them is working. Lombardi had made similar comments the year before regarding New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo--who’d ended that season 11-5--and this year he was falling apart before the eyes of the world. Wins alone were not enough to prove that Lombardi was wrong about Pederson. Neither was a winning record. Winning a playoff games was another matter. Immediately after that accomplishment, Lombardi acknowledged that he was wrong, admitted he had underestimated Pederson’s ability to learn the job, and publicly apologized. And to further illustrate that there was no person animus on his part, Lombardi instantly picked the Eagles beat his beloved New England Patriots as soon as the Superbowl participants were determined. To this day, though, that original proclamation still follows Lombardi. Anytime he tweets a statement from a place of experience or authority, up pops a GIF of Pederson celebrating his Superbowl win (or some other form of trolling). Ultimately, there is a reason trolls are so easy to ignore. They don’t understand (or are simply unwilling to understand) that it’s okay if your opinion is wrong. You can’t learn or evolve unless you are willing to risk being wrong. Depending on the consequences involved of course, philosophically it is sometimes actually better to be wrong. It makes the “why” of it easier to find. What hides in the joy of success becomes more obvious to scrutiny born of failure. Gridiron Genius is a tribute to the men who taught Lombardi this lesson, among many others, and he makes that clear from the outset.
This is not an autobiography. Lombardi takes three pages early on to chronicle how his love of football came about and to trace his route to the NFL. Then it’s on to the business at hand. Lombardi had served under three men whose impact on the game is too great to be measured. He was there for most of it. He observed, studied, absorbed and, each time he moved on, imparted these lessons. Now it’s his turn to teach them, and perhaps in doing so extend the legacy of the two gentlemen who are no longer with us. That’s why the book is subtitled A Master Class in Winning Championships and Building Dynasties in the NFL. The Geniuses referenced in the title, the men whose knowledge and innovations are the substance of this book, are Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers head coach; Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders; and Bill Belichick, considered by many the greatest professional football coach who ever lived.
Lombardi gives Al Davis the shortest shrift of the three, but not for the reason many would suspect. In today’s world of shrinking long-term memories and the devaluing of history to the point where the last impression made has become the lasting impression, the image many recall of Davis comes from near the end of life, where his faculties were failing. It’s a misrepresentation of the man Lombardi respected. Davis’ lack of “screen time” is more a matter of chronology. Lombardi happened to work for Walsh first and much of Walsh’s brilliance was built upon knowledge he learned from Davis years earlier. By the time Lombardi had joined Davis’ Raiders, most of his philosophies had been filtered through the genius of Bill Walsh. There were still things to be learned from Davis, just not as much.
Belichick receives the bulk of the attention, as one might expect, though again not for the obvious reason. Yes, there is a certain mystique about the Patriot Way, and anyone who can accurately reveal the inner workings of the organization and the thought processes of Bill Belichick is going to receive notice. But that is merely the end result. Gridiron Genius is about process, about the means by which results are achieved. Lombardi has spent more time by Belichick’s side than that of any of his other mentors and colleagues and, while Belichick may have always been a coach, Lombardi’s duties and responsibilities have varied over the course of their association. They have been given a unique opportunity to see each and every side of each other.
If Belichick becomes the hook that draws people to this book, those readers will not be disappointed, but the inclusion of Walsh and Davis are important. They are currently in danger of being forgotten by the bulk of football fandom. Walsh was much more than the creator of the West Coast Offense. Davis was much more than the eccentric owner of the Oakland Raiders. In much the same light, what Gridiron Genius covers is much more than just X’s and O’s. The principles Lombardi sets forth borrow--to varying degrees--tenets from business, psychology, sociology, and philosophy.
(And by the way, though you don’t need to be an expert on football to enjoy this book, you do need some rudimentary knowledge of the game. Lombardi does not stop to define the basics. For example, if you didn’t know what I meant by X’s and O’s, this book is not for you. Hint: it has nothing to do with Tic-Tac-Toe or Hugs & Kisses.)
Lombardi did not write this book with the strict intention of remaining student-turned-instructor. He makes his own contributions, usually in the form of reprinting research he had been assigned to undertake by one of his mentors, or in clarifications necessitated by the responsibilities of his job or the changing rules of the league. But he also recounts a time when contractual stipulations left him a man without a team. He touches on how interviews and meetings with other organizations happen and how they seldom amount to anything of substance. The rest of his presentations represent conclusions drawn from a lifetime of study. But Lombardi is careful to distinguish his thoughts from those of his subjects. He is also careful to make sure that the book is mostly positive in nature. The only time he calls out individuals is to provide contrast, to further illuminate just how far ahead of everybody else his teachers were. At least until we arrive at Chapter 8. It’s there Gridiron Genius losses its 5-Star rating.
The chapter is called “While I Have You” and it’s where Lombardi expounds on pet peeves and “common strategy mistakes.” Essentially he attempts to shatter widespread fallacies by imparting NFL realities. When these fallacies are held by those currently entrenched in the game, however, you can’t do this without citing specific examples. These examples have names attached. By itself there is a nothing wrong holding a person accountable for their missteps, be they realworld or philosophic, but within the context of this book it opens a door that the reader fully expects Lombardi to enter. He fails to do so. It’s why I began this review with the Doug Pederson situation. If it’s okay to be wrong, if it’s okay to fail, once you start directly pointing out the failure of others, then there’s an implied obligation to address your own. It begs the question, Why did “The Greatest Coach of All-Time” fail when he and Lombardi were in Cleveland? And armed with a bookload of knowledge gained from the sport’s most brilliant minds, why did Lombardi fail when he later returned to Cleveland as a General Manager? I suspect I know the answer. Not to the failures but rather as to why they were not discussed. It’s what happens when the realities of football collide with the realities of publishing. There needs to be material for the next book. And make no mistake, there will be a next book. And I’ll gladly be there when it comes out.
Additional Note: This ARC was won in a Random House giveaway with no expectation or obligation on my part. My review is based solely on the merits of the book.
October 26, 2018
I have mixed feelings about Michale Lombardi’s “Gridiron Genius.” Given the Lombardi’s intelligent insider’s perspective that informs his great podcasts (and TV appearances before he went to “The Ringer”) I went in with an expectation I’d easily give it five-stars. There is a lot of great stuff in the book. But I’m not sure his premise about the supremacy of culture, process, system is on target.
Much of the wisdom Lombardi offers is sourced from the words and deeds of Bill Belichick, with whom he worked longest and most closely. And Belichick’s collection of championships does give some credence to that. But nothing can change the reality that his win-loss record as a head coach was only 36-44 in Cleveland (where he had five years, a long rookie coach leaning period by NFL standards) and 5-11 his first year in New England (Brady entered when he replaced the injured Drew Bledsoe in the first game of Belichick’s second season in NE) for a total of 41-55 or a percentage of 0.427.
Bill Wash, Lombardi’s other major source, had a fantastic career as head coach in San Francisco, but he had Joe Montana as his QB for all of that tenure.
It would be implausible to suggest that Brady or Montana would have had the success they did without Belichick and Walsh respectively. What I wonder if Lombardi is missing, however, is the role of collaboration as opposed to leadership. It’s too easy in today’s world of guru books and seminars to get trapped into the mystique of the great leader, and Lombardi goes all in on that very thing. But it may reflect more intellectual convenience than genuine analysis. I wish Lombardi had given less ink to the great NFL leaders and more to the long-term player-collaborators at their sides and instead of trying to make a case for leadership (or for the player, as many Belichick haters do), make a case for the art of the collaboration. Interestingly, Oakland’s Al Davis, successful but not nearly to the consistent degree we see with Belichick and Walsh, never had that single super-collaborator. He was up and down as had did and did not have great collaborator’s over the long course of his career.
Although “Gridiron Genius” is a great read for any NFL fan, as a theory on what it takes to build a dynasty in the league, I believe Lombardi missed the open target (the leader-collaborator teamwork) and threw an incomplete pass.
Much of the wisdom Lombardi offers is sourced from the words and deeds of Bill Belichick, with whom he worked longest and most closely. And Belichick’s collection of championships does give some credence to that. But nothing can change the reality that his win-loss record as a head coach was only 36-44 in Cleveland (where he had five years, a long rookie coach leaning period by NFL standards) and 5-11 his first year in New England (Brady entered when he replaced the injured Drew Bledsoe in the first game of Belichick’s second season in NE) for a total of 41-55 or a percentage of 0.427.
Bill Wash, Lombardi’s other major source, had a fantastic career as head coach in San Francisco, but he had Joe Montana as his QB for all of that tenure.
It would be implausible to suggest that Brady or Montana would have had the success they did without Belichick and Walsh respectively. What I wonder if Lombardi is missing, however, is the role of collaboration as opposed to leadership. It’s too easy in today’s world of guru books and seminars to get trapped into the mystique of the great leader, and Lombardi goes all in on that very thing. But it may reflect more intellectual convenience than genuine analysis. I wish Lombardi had given less ink to the great NFL leaders and more to the long-term player-collaborators at their sides and instead of trying to make a case for leadership (or for the player, as many Belichick haters do), make a case for the art of the collaboration. Interestingly, Oakland’s Al Davis, successful but not nearly to the consistent degree we see with Belichick and Walsh, never had that single super-collaborator. He was up and down as had did and did not have great collaborator’s over the long course of his career.
Although “Gridiron Genius” is a great read for any NFL fan, as a theory on what it takes to build a dynasty in the league, I believe Lombardi missed the open target (the leader-collaborator teamwork) and threw an incomplete pass.
February 3, 2022
An Insider’s View
“Gridiron Genius” it’s a really good book for football nuts.
The reason I say that is that it gives you insight and behind the sea views of the most successful coaches of all time, Bill Belichick and Bill Walsh.
I loved the inside look on how NFL teams are built; the strategies they select and how they develop.
I really like this book.
“Gridiron Genius” it’s a really good book for football nuts.
The reason I say that is that it gives you insight and behind the sea views of the most successful coaches of all time, Bill Belichick and Bill Walsh.
I loved the inside look on how NFL teams are built; the strategies they select and how they develop.
I really like this book.
December 11, 2020
This was terrific.Lombardi is not afraid to name names,or offer fair criticism,notably of television commentators and 'expert'former players.Tony Romo is a good example.Lombardi has simplified the game which is what real experts can do.Read this,even if you don't like football.The writer has drawn parallels to People like Warren Buffet.If there is a better football book,I want to know.
September 14, 2018
https://www.themaineedge.com/sports/t...
There’s no denying that Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick are among the greatest coaches in the history of football. One can argue about their relative placements in the pantheon, but it’s difficult to dispute either’s placement among the greatest of the greats. Meanwhile, Raiders owner Al Davis spent decades as the free-wheeling outlaw of the NFL’s leadership class, bringing his own unique ideas and passions to the game.
And Michael Lombardi worked under all of them.
Those relationships form the basis for Lombardi’s new book “Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Winning Championships and Building Dynasties in the NFL.” It’s a chance for Lombardi to impart the myriad lessons he has gleaned over his decades of working with some of the finest football minds in history.
Dynasties are tough to come by in any sport – football is no exception. For a team to reach that sort of exalted, dynastic status, a lot of things have to go right. There have to be a few lucky bounces and some paid-off gambles. And more than anything, there has to be a strong leader at the top, one who is capable of not just maximizing performance on the field, but also creating a sustainable winning culture off it.
Lombardi offers a unique perspective on some of the men who have managed to cultivate that level of legendary success. He worked under Bill Walsh from 1984-1987, right smack in the middle of Walsh’s run of dominance at the helm of the San Francisco 49ers. After that, he worked for the Cleveland Browns for the next decade or so, where he first worked with then-Browns coach Bill Belichick. The next decade was spent working in personnel for the Raiders and Al Davis. After a couple of years as general manager of the Browns, he reunited with Belichick in New England from 2014-2016.
So yeah – he’s been around the block.
What he does in “Gridiron Genius” is expose the reader to the depth of thought that each of these men brought to the table. He talks about what it’s like to be around someone like Walsh, someone whose every waking moment was devoted to improving upon the vaunted West Coast offense that he developed and that led to his success. We’re offered a look at his relationship with Belichick and how the man never really changed from his relatively unsuccessful tenure with the Browns to his likely-never-to-be-matched success with the Patriots. And we get a chance to see the dynamic weirdness (and equal brilliance) of Al Davis in action as well.
There’s a lot that goes into becoming as successful as these men were. It’s not just about Xs and Os. It’s not just about film study and drills. It’s about leadership. It’s about finding ways to get scores of people with very different ideas and very different motivations to land on the same page and move toward a common goal.
According to Lombardi, the common thread is an unwavering eye for detail and a not-quite perfectionism that demands constant efforts toward improvement. It involves a willingness to script everything: not just the plays of the day, but daily practices and weekly meetings and annual player acquisitions and multi-year organizational directives. EVERYTHING. Walsh, Belichick and Davis all had these qualities to some extent. Yes, they were very different men and ultimately saw somewhat different results, but the fundamental principles were all the same.
There’s plenty of inside football stuff in “Gridiron Genius” as well; there are moments when the curtain is pulled back and we get an interesting perspective on some of the inner workings of the NFL, whether it’s game-specific or more general in an organizational sense. Either way, it’s a view that few have had – especially with these particular bosses – and any football fan will find it fascinating.
Lombardi also likes to offer up an occasional list, a breakdown of seven criteria for X or 11 reasons behind Y. These lists allow him to get a bit more granular, whether he’s talking about offensive and defensive ideas, a coach’s philosophies or even his own requirements for a franchise quarterback. These detailed explorations serve as a nice counterpoint to a lot of the more anecdotal material.
“Gridiron Genius” is a fun book, one that football fans are going to dig. Does it feel a little too fawning in some spots? A little too shallow in others? Sure. But mostly, it’s one man’s passion for the game and for the people who taught him the most about it laid bare on the page. Michael Lombardi loves football and deeply respects those who helped cultivate that love. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s a good one – and an undeniably honest one.
There’s no denying that Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick are among the greatest coaches in the history of football. One can argue about their relative placements in the pantheon, but it’s difficult to dispute either’s placement among the greatest of the greats. Meanwhile, Raiders owner Al Davis spent decades as the free-wheeling outlaw of the NFL’s leadership class, bringing his own unique ideas and passions to the game.
And Michael Lombardi worked under all of them.
Those relationships form the basis for Lombardi’s new book “Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Winning Championships and Building Dynasties in the NFL.” It’s a chance for Lombardi to impart the myriad lessons he has gleaned over his decades of working with some of the finest football minds in history.
Dynasties are tough to come by in any sport – football is no exception. For a team to reach that sort of exalted, dynastic status, a lot of things have to go right. There have to be a few lucky bounces and some paid-off gambles. And more than anything, there has to be a strong leader at the top, one who is capable of not just maximizing performance on the field, but also creating a sustainable winning culture off it.
Lombardi offers a unique perspective on some of the men who have managed to cultivate that level of legendary success. He worked under Bill Walsh from 1984-1987, right smack in the middle of Walsh’s run of dominance at the helm of the San Francisco 49ers. After that, he worked for the Cleveland Browns for the next decade or so, where he first worked with then-Browns coach Bill Belichick. The next decade was spent working in personnel for the Raiders and Al Davis. After a couple of years as general manager of the Browns, he reunited with Belichick in New England from 2014-2016.
So yeah – he’s been around the block.
What he does in “Gridiron Genius” is expose the reader to the depth of thought that each of these men brought to the table. He talks about what it’s like to be around someone like Walsh, someone whose every waking moment was devoted to improving upon the vaunted West Coast offense that he developed and that led to his success. We’re offered a look at his relationship with Belichick and how the man never really changed from his relatively unsuccessful tenure with the Browns to his likely-never-to-be-matched success with the Patriots. And we get a chance to see the dynamic weirdness (and equal brilliance) of Al Davis in action as well.
There’s a lot that goes into becoming as successful as these men were. It’s not just about Xs and Os. It’s not just about film study and drills. It’s about leadership. It’s about finding ways to get scores of people with very different ideas and very different motivations to land on the same page and move toward a common goal.
According to Lombardi, the common thread is an unwavering eye for detail and a not-quite perfectionism that demands constant efforts toward improvement. It involves a willingness to script everything: not just the plays of the day, but daily practices and weekly meetings and annual player acquisitions and multi-year organizational directives. EVERYTHING. Walsh, Belichick and Davis all had these qualities to some extent. Yes, they were very different men and ultimately saw somewhat different results, but the fundamental principles were all the same.
There’s plenty of inside football stuff in “Gridiron Genius” as well; there are moments when the curtain is pulled back and we get an interesting perspective on some of the inner workings of the NFL, whether it’s game-specific or more general in an organizational sense. Either way, it’s a view that few have had – especially with these particular bosses – and any football fan will find it fascinating.
Lombardi also likes to offer up an occasional list, a breakdown of seven criteria for X or 11 reasons behind Y. These lists allow him to get a bit more granular, whether he’s talking about offensive and defensive ideas, a coach’s philosophies or even his own requirements for a franchise quarterback. These detailed explorations serve as a nice counterpoint to a lot of the more anecdotal material.
“Gridiron Genius” is a fun book, one that football fans are going to dig. Does it feel a little too fawning in some spots? A little too shallow in others? Sure. But mostly, it’s one man’s passion for the game and for the people who taught him the most about it laid bare on the page. Michael Lombardi loves football and deeply respects those who helped cultivate that love. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s a good one – and an undeniably honest one.
September 25, 2018
Thanks to the publisher, Crown Archetype, for providing an advance reviewing copy.
As I write this, we’re just a couple of weeks into the NFL’s 2018 regular season. Sports writers and talking heads are everywhere. The problem is that for every minute they spend talking games, there will be at least as many that they waste of gossip-y garbage, fantasy football and hot-button clickbait topics (like the anthem).
Reading a book that actually examines how consistent football excellence has been achieved is refreshing. Lombardi spent years on the staffs of Bill Walsh of the 49ers and Bill Belichick of the Patriots during their dynasty years. (He also was on the Raiders’ staff during some of the Al Davis years. No dynasty there, but some memorable experiences.) Yes, you read some human-interest stories in this book, like Nick Saban’s failure with the Dolphins and his revenge (of a sort) when he went to Alabama, but the focus is on team building, game planning, and coaching.
Lombardi takes us deep into the process, from detailing how lower-level coaching staff members are trained, the elements of the defense in Belichick’s analysis, to the day-by-day plan for an upcoming game. He even has an 11-page outline of questions for interviewing head coaching candidates that “explores every nonobvious wrinkle of organization and team building that a head coach needs to control to conquer the modern-era NFL,” from the big picture of the philosophy of the different phases to the game down to minutiae like “Fat guys: How are you handling them?” and who should site where on the plane when traveling to and from away games. And remember the Malcolm Butler interception in the Super Bowl game between the Patriots and the Seahawks? Of course you do, it’s legendary. Well, Lombardi might just blow your mind when he describes all that went into that moment.
I thought that after this book came out it would be a fantastic source of questions for reporters to ask coaches about the nitty-gritty of coaching, but I haven’t heard any of that. I’m beginning to wonder if there are any media members left who understand or care about this. It’s a shame, because reading this book is a great way to go far beyond the personalities and get inside some of the key elements of what makes successful teams.
I’d like to allow Lombardi to address one thing head on, which is the fact that there are a lot of Belichick/Patriots haters out there and there is a lot of Belichick/Patriots content in the book: “[I]f you can put aside your rooting interest long enough to see how the guy accomplishes his goals, it may do some good. You don’t have to root for the Patriots to take away some specific action points from the team’s two decades of accomplishment. A deeper understanding of the WWBD [What Would Belichick Do] concept can guide us all.” When you consider what an intense student of the game Belichick has been since he was a little kid and his father was the coach at Navy, it’s worth paying some attention. Not to mention that some of the stories of how Belichick approaches the game are just plain riveting.
It’s particularly great to read a football book from a guy who is reporting from his own direct experience, rather than from a reporter who will always be at least one step removed. If you really care about football, especially about coaching, this is a terrific book to read. There are some parts that are a bit of a slog, but I’m giving it five stars because of how good the rest of it is and how much of a standout this is from most football books.
As I write this, we’re just a couple of weeks into the NFL’s 2018 regular season. Sports writers and talking heads are everywhere. The problem is that for every minute they spend talking games, there will be at least as many that they waste of gossip-y garbage, fantasy football and hot-button clickbait topics (like the anthem).
Reading a book that actually examines how consistent football excellence has been achieved is refreshing. Lombardi spent years on the staffs of Bill Walsh of the 49ers and Bill Belichick of the Patriots during their dynasty years. (He also was on the Raiders’ staff during some of the Al Davis years. No dynasty there, but some memorable experiences.) Yes, you read some human-interest stories in this book, like Nick Saban’s failure with the Dolphins and his revenge (of a sort) when he went to Alabama, but the focus is on team building, game planning, and coaching.
Lombardi takes us deep into the process, from detailing how lower-level coaching staff members are trained, the elements of the defense in Belichick’s analysis, to the day-by-day plan for an upcoming game. He even has an 11-page outline of questions for interviewing head coaching candidates that “explores every nonobvious wrinkle of organization and team building that a head coach needs to control to conquer the modern-era NFL,” from the big picture of the philosophy of the different phases to the game down to minutiae like “Fat guys: How are you handling them?” and who should site where on the plane when traveling to and from away games. And remember the Malcolm Butler interception in the Super Bowl game between the Patriots and the Seahawks? Of course you do, it’s legendary. Well, Lombardi might just blow your mind when he describes all that went into that moment.
I thought that after this book came out it would be a fantastic source of questions for reporters to ask coaches about the nitty-gritty of coaching, but I haven’t heard any of that. I’m beginning to wonder if there are any media members left who understand or care about this. It’s a shame, because reading this book is a great way to go far beyond the personalities and get inside some of the key elements of what makes successful teams.
I’d like to allow Lombardi to address one thing head on, which is the fact that there are a lot of Belichick/Patriots haters out there and there is a lot of Belichick/Patriots content in the book: “[I]f you can put aside your rooting interest long enough to see how the guy accomplishes his goals, it may do some good. You don’t have to root for the Patriots to take away some specific action points from the team’s two decades of accomplishment. A deeper understanding of the WWBD [What Would Belichick Do] concept can guide us all.” When you consider what an intense student of the game Belichick has been since he was a little kid and his father was the coach at Navy, it’s worth paying some attention. Not to mention that some of the stories of how Belichick approaches the game are just plain riveting.
It’s particularly great to read a football book from a guy who is reporting from his own direct experience, rather than from a reporter who will always be at least one step removed. If you really care about football, especially about coaching, this is a terrific book to read. There are some parts that are a bit of a slog, but I’m giving it five stars because of how good the rest of it is and how much of a standout this is from most football books.
November 14, 2018
3.5*'s
Entertaining but not as enlightening as I would have hoped. Draftniks along with Patriot and 49ers fans will like it since it focus on the draft, and the Bill's Walsh and Belichick.
Entertaining but not as enlightening as I would have hoped. Draftniks along with Patriot and 49ers fans will like it since it focus on the draft, and the Bill's Walsh and Belichick.
December 30, 2018
This was a great study on NFL team building and schemes. The emphasis on culture building and leadership applies to many different industries.
July 9, 2020
Ahora entiendo porqué mis Bills nunca tuvieron oportunidad contra los Pats.
Excelente libro sobre creación de dinastías en la NFL y también bueno para la creación de empresas; pero si no eres fan y tienes un conocimiento de la historia y personajes de la NFL, no lo podrás disfrutar.
Excelente libro sobre creación de dinastías en la NFL y también bueno para la creación de empresas; pero si no eres fan y tienes un conocimiento de la historia y personajes de la NFL, no lo podrás disfrutar.
October 17, 2018
Mr. Lombardi uses this book to talk about what he has learned about winning football teams. Of course most of the time is spent with the years he worked with Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick. Really you cannot go wrong with either one of those two men, but to be fortunate to have worked with both is truly amazing. You are taken through the guide of a team and how it starts at the top and what is expected of everyone including office staff, etc… There is a grading system of players before the draft and then another right before, and of course how both Walsh and Belichick would trade down in the draft and the value in receiving those extra picks. You are also shown how some of those picks helped form some of the better 49 niner teams. He spends little time speaking about his time with Al Davis and most of that is because Bill Walsh worked for him at one time and so he felt a lot of information was already passed on. I really enjoyed the time he talked about Cleveland and the men working for Belichick there and for taking us the readers behind the trades of the 49 niners when they were putting together those super bowl teams. Overall a good book which I found entertaining. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
September 19, 2018
This book was amazing to me, possibly because I haven't read enough management books related to football.
First and foremost, I loved the 17 principals. Great to review to help anyone get into the winning state of mind.
p. 17 - Culture can eat strategy for lunch.
This comes from Peter Drucker, but is so important as the first chapter of the book. He talks about how a lot of people will bring in a head coach or some other leader and they can't get the job done, because what it entails to make it happen is this sort of narrow cultivation of a winning culture. So awesome.
p. 42 - Here he discusses the idea that you start out bad. Really bad, but you still gotta do it. I love this. "Of course it's bad!" Someone so needs to just say it sometimes.
p. 73 - The best teams force players to prove their value. OMG.... I wish this were true in organizations. He then talks about how if you don't do that it just erodes trust and destroys a team.
Along side this concept he discusses that the need for character and the need to be super honest.
Talking about F*-ups, openly, candidly and as a matter of course, allows you to have the discussions that improve decision making.
P. 74 Bias in the evaluation process is the biggest culpret. Making matters worse, bias-effected decisions inevitably snowball into a series of poor decisions that can bring down the entire team.
Yes... so true. Remember always, that in the game of football management this is always decisions about people.
p 75 - Character. In the case of football, he's talking about the type of character that is the player at their worst situation (injured, etc). You can't assess it except in person. I like this for any hiring situation. I think so often HR looks for a set of characteristics, but I take character over all of that as well, and you know it when you see it.
p. 84 - "Skill without the proper mental state gets you no where." This is actually why you work to understand the millennial, so you can motivate them. This is so key....
P .116 - this was cool. The idea that you might have a qb, and you got to work with the team you have, so you got to rearrange the players to work, not throw it all out or not get rid of the qb. I think too often, they don't match the team to the qb, they match talent only and that's no good.
P. 126 - "Very few people can coach the qb." - interesting to think about the metrics applied that have nothing to do with success.
p. 209 - Here he talks about the idea that the pro's are playing the entire game with each play. It's highly strategic. The amateurs only play one play at a time.
Love love love this book. so much to think about.
First and foremost, I loved the 17 principals. Great to review to help anyone get into the winning state of mind.
p. 17 - Culture can eat strategy for lunch.
This comes from Peter Drucker, but is so important as the first chapter of the book. He talks about how a lot of people will bring in a head coach or some other leader and they can't get the job done, because what it entails to make it happen is this sort of narrow cultivation of a winning culture. So awesome.
p. 42 - Here he discusses the idea that you start out bad. Really bad, but you still gotta do it. I love this. "Of course it's bad!" Someone so needs to just say it sometimes.
p. 73 - The best teams force players to prove their value. OMG.... I wish this were true in organizations. He then talks about how if you don't do that it just erodes trust and destroys a team.
Along side this concept he discusses that the need for character and the need to be super honest.
Talking about F*-ups, openly, candidly and as a matter of course, allows you to have the discussions that improve decision making.
P. 74 Bias in the evaluation process is the biggest culpret. Making matters worse, bias-effected decisions inevitably snowball into a series of poor decisions that can bring down the entire team.
Yes... so true. Remember always, that in the game of football management this is always decisions about people.
p 75 - Character. In the case of football, he's talking about the type of character that is the player at their worst situation (injured, etc). You can't assess it except in person. I like this for any hiring situation. I think so often HR looks for a set of characteristics, but I take character over all of that as well, and you know it when you see it.
p. 84 - "Skill without the proper mental state gets you no where." This is actually why you work to understand the millennial, so you can motivate them. This is so key....
P .116 - this was cool. The idea that you might have a qb, and you got to work with the team you have, so you got to rearrange the players to work, not throw it all out or not get rid of the qb. I think too often, they don't match the team to the qb, they match talent only and that's no good.
P. 126 - "Very few people can coach the qb." - interesting to think about the metrics applied that have nothing to do with success.
p. 209 - Here he talks about the idea that the pro's are playing the entire game with each play. It's highly strategic. The amateurs only play one play at a time.
Love love love this book. so much to think about.
September 2, 2018
I've read a lot of Lombardi in articles and on social media so I was initially concerned whether there'd be anything new in this book. I was pleasantly surprised. This added in a lot of detail that shows the inner construction of a team and how that builds coaching success. While even the best coach can't necessarily take under performing and injured team to the super bowl, a good coach can help players' develop in a way that builds championships. There's been a lot written about Walsh & Belichick so some of this material I'd seen before, but most of Al Davis was new to me. This expands on a number of the coaching leadership titles already out there and was a really filler before football season began.
July 20, 2018
I received ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
A fantastic look at how championship teams are built from the ground up. Lombardi pulls insights from several luminaries in the sport of football over the last several decades. However, this book is not just about how to build a team, but also how to watch the game and sound more intelligent, and some subtle changes coaches can employ to create more wins on the field. This is a must read for any football fan out there.
A fantastic look at how championship teams are built from the ground up. Lombardi pulls insights from several luminaries in the sport of football over the last several decades. However, this book is not just about how to build a team, but also how to watch the game and sound more intelligent, and some subtle changes coaches can employ to create more wins on the field. This is a must read for any football fan out there.
December 18, 2018
It seems to me that Michael Lombardi’s book title, “Gridiron Genius,” inadvertently expresses his own expertise. Talent and wisdom shine brightly above his treatise on how to win at football. You should clutch this book to your bosom in gratitude as you dwell on your lifetime of love for the NFL.
It’s obvious that Lombardi has two idols in his world, Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick. Al Davis is there also, but the author doesn’t place him quite as high on his worship list. In fact, Davis tossed Lombardi from his organization after Lombardi fed information to Belichick indicating that the Patriots should pick up Randy Moss from the Raiders.
Davis was irate at the lack of loyalty despite his intention to dump Moss anyway.
This book is a revealing look at the secrets of success fomented by masterful football head coaches. It goes deep, touching on the minute aspects of motivation, leadership, and gamesmanship. It explains in great detail why both Walsh and Belichick are successful in the way they have run their teams. Both men are analyzed but information concerning Belichick dominates, and rightly so. He’s the latest and greatest.
According to the author’s sources, when Lombardi worked for Belichick, he had the balls to tell Belichick that he “was wrong” and “that’s a stupid idea.” Guess who wrote the forward to this book? Belichick. Apparently Lombardi’s counsel was well received. The author’s first person, behind the scene, total access, and inside involvement accounting might be the best I’ve read.
Some pearls I gleaned are absolutely fascinating. Walsh was impulsive and bothersome. Both coaches never hired solely because of talent. Nick Saban got screwed out of his job at Miami but revenge is sweet. A cohesive structure is elusive but a must. Belichick’s personality is as variable as New England weather. Many other tasty informational tidbits add to the reader’s NFL background education. The author also shares inside stuff about the effectiveness of coaches and players complete with names, equally savory.
One complete chapter outlines the things a head coach must either do or consider; a cohesive philosophy, an off season plan, team objectives, schedules for mini or training camps, deciding which players are to take place in what activities, who accompanies the team out of town, who gets in the locker room, scrimmage plans, preseason game policies, and on and on, ten pages worth. It’s a demanding job.
The author closes with his pet peeves, many of which I share, and his vision of football’s future, which is carefully thought out. It’s all here. If it’s not, you probably haven’t thought of it. Lombardi has. It’s entertaining, insightful, and good stuff that’s not to be missed.
October 15, 2018
As one of the other reviewers pointed out, Lombardi shares a lot of his stories on podcasts, but there is considerable new material here. Mostly new stuff, I would say -- plenty of meat left on the bone.
Bill Walsh, Al Davis and Bill Belichick are all pivotal figures in NFL history, and Lombardi unusually worked with all three of them. Here he's trying to point out things they did to help them get ahead of the rest of the league. With the two Bills in particular, he's trying to explain what made them great -- how they built a culture of excellence.
One chapter outlines in some detail the full week of practice leading up to a playoff game. I thought that was well done (particularly with the Patriots in that game implementing a controversial gadget play they had picked up from the college game).
Being a long-time follower of the game, I very much enjoyed some of the old-time stories. The 49ers in 1986 had a legendary draft, trading down a number of times. Lombardi re-constructs that, explaining that it all kind of happened by accident. The team originally targeted a few players in the middle of the first round, including Ronnie Harmon (Bills) and John L. Williams (Seahawks). When those players were unexpectedly all chosen, San Francisco chose to trade down to buy some time and try to come up with a new draft plan.
Lombardi says that the 49ers were going to cut John Taylor when he was a rookie, so he arranged for Taylor to feign a back injury (allowing the team to instead stash him on IR). And he points out that when he was at the 1987 combine, Bill Walsh saw an unknown quarterback on the other side of the field; he watched him make a couple of throws. "Make sure Holmgren goes to see that quarterback throwing right now," Walsh said. The quarterback was Rich Gannon, who would become a great starter with the Raiders a dozen years later.
A worthy effort.
Bill Walsh, Al Davis and Bill Belichick are all pivotal figures in NFL history, and Lombardi unusually worked with all three of them. Here he's trying to point out things they did to help them get ahead of the rest of the league. With the two Bills in particular, he's trying to explain what made them great -- how they built a culture of excellence.
One chapter outlines in some detail the full week of practice leading up to a playoff game. I thought that was well done (particularly with the Patriots in that game implementing a controversial gadget play they had picked up from the college game).
Being a long-time follower of the game, I very much enjoyed some of the old-time stories. The 49ers in 1986 had a legendary draft, trading down a number of times. Lombardi re-constructs that, explaining that it all kind of happened by accident. The team originally targeted a few players in the middle of the first round, including Ronnie Harmon (Bills) and John L. Williams (Seahawks). When those players were unexpectedly all chosen, San Francisco chose to trade down to buy some time and try to come up with a new draft plan.
Lombardi says that the 49ers were going to cut John Taylor when he was a rookie, so he arranged for Taylor to feign a back injury (allowing the team to instead stash him on IR). And he points out that when he was at the 1987 combine, Bill Walsh saw an unknown quarterback on the other side of the field; he watched him make a couple of throws. "Make sure Holmgren goes to see that quarterback throwing right now," Walsh said. The quarterback was Rich Gannon, who would become a great starter with the Raiders a dozen years later.
A worthy effort.
December 20, 2018
A well written, well put together book. As a fan of pro football for more than 50 years I found the book informational with specifics to game and team management. One of the more interesting aspects were the insider workings into NFL clubs (most specifically the Pats and the 49ers) and ownership and staff personalities. I gave up on following players (those whom I term millionaires in shorts) long ago preferring instead to following well-run sports clubs as business entities. This book fulfills that interest nicely and is the reason for the 4 stars. I must admit that I found the all-consuming driven genius mystique re: Belichik and Walsh a tad tiresome - though one might argue you can't argue with their successes.
July 31, 2023
In actuality the book is a 2.5-3 in my opinion.
For the most part I enjoyed the book and the neat stories from his days, but I guess I just expected more from the book as a whole.
I understand and don’t gripe that he mostly wrote from his experiences who happen to be with those absolute titans of the game. Where I do feel as that there could have been a more deep dive into other coaches or personnel as a whole. Besides all the football related information the message given is pretty decent and can be taken in other aspects of life and put to good use.
As a fairly consistent listener of his podcasts I feel that in that space he has done a better job at expressing the ideas that I feel were meant for the book. As a whole its enjoyable read/listen if you want to know a bit more but can see where a reader could feel underwhelmed.
For the most part I enjoyed the book and the neat stories from his days, but I guess I just expected more from the book as a whole.
I understand and don’t gripe that he mostly wrote from his experiences who happen to be with those absolute titans of the game. Where I do feel as that there could have been a more deep dive into other coaches or personnel as a whole. Besides all the football related information the message given is pretty decent and can be taken in other aspects of life and put to good use.
As a fairly consistent listener of his podcasts I feel that in that space he has done a better job at expressing the ideas that I feel were meant for the book. As a whole its enjoyable read/listen if you want to know a bit more but can see where a reader could feel underwhelmed.
October 5, 2018
This book isn't about football stories but rather all the preparation that goes into game planning. If you're not a Patriot Fan this book may have too much Bellichek praises for you! I enjoyed the book and it was most interesting while it was thought provoking. I always appreciated the quality of the program that the Patriots have achieved along with all their titles. It's a lot of hard work and time that yields to the later.
There are many pieces and some stories UNPatriot but I suspect the authors most time spent and / or influenced by Bellichek and Co. determined much of the book. Did I mention success? I should have.
For a real football fan interested in the finer points of the game this should be fun reading for the most part with some dryness for good measure.
There are many pieces and some stories UNPatriot but I suspect the authors most time spent and / or influenced by Bellichek and Co. determined much of the book. Did I mention success? I should have.
For a real football fan interested in the finer points of the game this should be fun reading for the most part with some dryness for good measure.
November 14, 2021
Fascinating, even for non-football people
I have almost no interest in pro sports, and even less interest in pro football, but I couldn’t put this book down. I bought it because I enjoy biographies of great people, and while Bill Belichick isn’t a general or president, he’s certainly a great leader whose story is worth knowing.
But this book is so much more. I never imagined being gripped by a stat wonk’s deep dive into using data to choose a great tight end, or an evidence-based exploration of how much influence coaches have on their teams successes.
Maybe Mike Lombardi’s contagious enthusiasm wore off on me. His writing is excellent, making what could have been a tedious slog through scouting and coaching mechanics into a fascinating read.
I have almost no interest in pro sports, and even less interest in pro football, but I couldn’t put this book down. I bought it because I enjoy biographies of great people, and while Bill Belichick isn’t a general or president, he’s certainly a great leader whose story is worth knowing.
But this book is so much more. I never imagined being gripped by a stat wonk’s deep dive into using data to choose a great tight end, or an evidence-based exploration of how much influence coaches have on their teams successes.
Maybe Mike Lombardi’s contagious enthusiasm wore off on me. His writing is excellent, making what could have been a tedious slog through scouting and coaching mechanics into a fascinating read.
September 3, 2023
Audiobook: I enjoyed listening about the behind-the-scenes of successful football organizations and about players I grew up watching. The recurring theme throughout was that a winning culture is the foundation to any successful organization. Much of the book was written almost as a love letter to Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick, to the point of being mushy at times.
January 13, 2024
I appreciated all of the quotes in this book the most. I think Lombardi’s methodology and philosophy on football perfectly matches many of my opinions on business. I think football is the greatest illustrative lesson teacher and I appreciated all of the lessons I’ll take to business from this book.
November 30, 2018
Makes so many great points that I wish the Cardinals would follow.
August 17, 2023
Second time reading one of my favorite books on football and leadership/team building. Can't wait for football season!
October 19, 2018
Great Read! As a football coach I recommend it to anyone looking to establish a culture or just simply grow as a professional. It’s a book that is easily applicable to business leadership.
January 1, 2019
Mike has been lucky enough to work closely with 3 of the greatest minds to ever come across the football field. He seems to have learned the love of football from Bill Walsh, the love of scouting and analytics from Al Davis, and the longevity/working experience from Bill Belichick.
As a listener of the GM Street podcast, where mike is a weekly co-host, I have known and listened to some of the stories and takes in the book. That did not take away any of the joy or interest in reading them. Just had to put it out there.
It is really a well written book, and you will enjoy it if you are a football head. Worth the time.
As a listener of the GM Street podcast, where mike is a weekly co-host, I have known and listened to some of the stories and takes in the book. That did not take away any of the joy or interest in reading them. Just had to put it out there.
It is really a well written book, and you will enjoy it if you are a football head. Worth the time.
November 28, 2018
Very good book about what goes on behind the scenes in football.
December 29, 2018
Fantastic read in which I took so many notes. It is full of great information that someone that enjoys other sports can still take so much from it. The coaches are definitely geniuses as labeled. So much fun to read.
January 2, 2019
Michael Lombardi has fascinating insights from his time working with Bill Walsh, the Oakland Raiders and Bill Belichek. In particular, his time with Walsh and Belichek, he's formulated in this book how to build championship-level teams.
For the true football fan, this is a must-read
For the true football fan, this is a must-read
November 1, 2018
Michael Lombardi presents a very readable book on what it takes to succeed in the NFL. Much of the attention is on coach, but he also has interesting perspectives on quarterbacks. It is nice that he has personal experience with multiple successful coaches. The book has a lot of focus on "Bill's"; Walsh, and Belichick, with some Parcell's included. Which given their respective histories and impact on the game is a great choice.
He makes a good case for the key elements of success, and failure, in football franchises. The book is not too technical, so as long as you have an interest in football it is a good read - and it does not take a long time either!
He makes a good case for the key elements of success, and failure, in football franchises. The book is not too technical, so as long as you have an interest in football it is a good read - and it does not take a long time either!
November 24, 2018
This was and interesting and educational look out how to build a championship NFL team. Michael Lombardi shares lessons learned from his experiences working with Bill Walsh, Al Davis and Bill Belichick.
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