Stories
In the 60 years Gordie coached, his teams won 2,410 games in three sports; it almost seems surreal. More important to Gordie than this number, however, was the number of athletes that he coached, which is over 2,000. Many remained good friends through the years.
Here are some of their stories…
Tom Thayer
I think the key for any coach to be successful is respect. The coach should be an authority figure, perhaps be a little intimidating to the player, but he must also earn the respect of the player. Two coaches who personify this idea of respect are Mike Ditka, with...
Dan “Rudy” Ruettiger
Like most kids, I was a dreamer. I had big dreams, but my teachers branded me a dreamer who paid no attention to his studies and who would never amount to anything special. I told anyone who would listen that I was going to play football at the University of Notre...
Mike Spinozzi
One of my most important roles as President of Sally Beauty was in leadership. When I started to fashion my style of leadership in the company I thought of Gordie. That’s not unusual; I think of him and hear him talking to me almost every day. The ideas he implanted...