Rebound: From Pain to Passion - Leadership Lessons Learned

by Matt Doherty

"Matt is everything you could ask for in a friend and leader." ––Jay Bilas, ESPN Matt Doherty played and coached basketball at the University of North Carolina. He started on the 1982 National Championship team coached by Dean Smith while playing alongside NBA stars Michael Jordan and James Worthy. He is the former head coach at the University of Notre Dame and UNC. He was named 2001 National Coach of the Year. In 2003….he was forced to resign! Have you ever fallen off the top of the mountain? Have you ever doubted yourself? How do you prepare for your next opportunity? You Rebound! Rebound will help you become a better leader. Leadership is a learned behavior. It can be studied and developed. Not everyone is a born leader, but EVERYONE can become a better leader! Coach Doherty provides a game plan to help you navigate the rough terrain of leadership. He shares his journey in an authentic manner that will engage you with riveting stories of tremendous successes and……failures! Coach Doherty chose to turn his “Pain into Passion”. He went on a leadership journey studying at The Wharton School and The Darden School. Along with the help of top leadership executives, Matt learned many valuable lessons that he will share with you in Rebound.

Genres: Leadership

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2021

Reviews

[Paul Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

The memory of Matt Doherty crying after a UNC loss has been a go-to chuckle line with my Duke friends for years. Imagine my surprise to receive the gift (from one of those Duke friends) of his autobiography. It was a pleasant enough read of a didn’t really need to be written bio + “leadership” book. After he flops coaching at UNC (and then at SMU) he decides to actually learn something about leadership by taking some college classes at business school. He wraps up the book by sharing his favorite leadership tropes (e.g. write a mission statement). The most interesting part was when he described his time at Carolina. He recounts how they told him he could change anything he wanted, it was fine that they were terrible in year 2 (b/c the recruiting pipeline was empty), and he had X years with Y guaranteed money. Turns out when he changed anything without the approval of Dean Smith everyone was furious, it was surely NOT OK to be terrible in year 2, and his contract was for less time and money than he thought. Dean Smith told him he was their 5th choice. Oops. I wouldn’t recommend you actually go buy this book but if you’re on a desert island with this your own pleasure, your life will still be worth living.

[Robin Necci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly a great leadership book. Matt is a true leader in that he accepts the responsibility where he succeeded or failed and gives credit where credit is due to others. Great insights on Dean Smith and Roy Williams as well!

Matt has shared his successes and his failures in his career and noted how/where he made mistakes along the way. He learned a lot after his failures and illustrated how he could have been successful if leadership learning and events he participated in had happened before other non-successful events in his career. He noted how he might have applied his knowledge for success if the timing had been different.

Matt exhibits a lot of character, integrity, and willingness to share from his mistakes--great characteristics of a great leader! He is truly a success in life as well as in his career!

Great job, Matt! I look forward to more from you!

[Cindy Birne · Rating 5 out of 5]

REBOUND is a fast-paced read that quickly engages the reader. Matt Doherty spares nothing as he shares his personal journey from NCAA championship player to a successful coaching career, to reaching the top of the mountain when he landed his dream job as head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, to falling off the cliff when he was forced to resign. Now he explains what happened, why, and what he learned as he embarked on a leadership journey.

[PG Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being from Long Island myself and a follower of UNC and Davidson, I found this book to be interesting. However I didn't appreciate the rather condescending and authoritative tone of "The Last Chapter." Additionally, the story appeared to be in need of further editing.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. Coach Doherty shares So many life lessons and company/corporation strategies. Added bonus if you are a Carolina alum and know the UNC basketball program. Guarantee you will Thoroughly enjoy reading and referring back to this book. Well done!

[Joseph Reto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being friends with Matt Doherty may slant my positive views on his book! His integrities and valor are displayed in this book! Matt has strong networks that have helped him during difficult times! Maybe the strongest quote in the book is from Nelson Mandela: I never lose! I either win or learn!

[Artie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some useful advice and interesting tidbits but inexcusably excessive use of exclamation points.

[Peter Young]

Well done. Great insight on UNC and Dean Smith's legacy there.