Chris Carlisle - Move or Die: Creating a Game-Plan from Stuck to Significance

S o, I finally wrote that book I had been working on for what seemed like forever. Every word I typed brought back memories of all of the people who helped develop my Move or Die philosophy.

Hearing the echo of distant voices made me laugh and cry in the same measure as I wrote this book. The hardest thing was when it came time to edit the 600-pages. Unfortunately, the part I wrote about you was surgically removed by the worlds greatest editor, Katie Rios. But, not to worry, she said your name and story would be in my next book.

I also would like to thank my publishing team, led by Bryan and DeeDee Heathman. They took my notebooks, full of stories and stick-figure drawings, and rendered them down into this book. I couldnt have done this without yall!

I want to thank all the people that have meant so much in my life. All the teachers, students, athletes, and people I have worked with. Each of you has left your mark in my life, and I can only hope that I helped you move closer towards your ultimate goals.

To Mom and Dad, Ed Lenius, Father William Wewers and the entire monastic community at Subiaco Abbey, Dr. George Morgan, Cleo & Frances Pope, Delores & Don Sims, Noreen Coyan, Tim & Bobbi Weiss, and my family, you have taught me that success is what you do for yourself. Still, significance is what you do to help others succeed.

To my Quarters, Keith Sims, Todd Pierce, Scott Christensen, Rod & Jacque Coyan, and Bobby & Jill Sewell, thank you for always having the strength and conviction to tell me THE truth. Because of your love and friendship, I have moved down my path with great confidence.

Finally, to my wife Louon and my son Alex, I know it hasnt been easy traveling around the country doing this coaching thing, but we have always laughed and loved! Thanks for putting up with me!

One last story: We went into my sons first-grade class for a parent-teacher meeting. The teacher had high praise for Alex as far as his academics went. His only glitch was, He always has to be first. First in line for recess, first in line for lunch, first in line for reading, first in line for everything. Louon looked at me, holding back a laugh, as I looked quizzically at the teacher and asked, So what is the problem ?

We have two choices Move or Die you decide!!!

I first became aware of Chris Carlisle after I was named the head football coach of the University of Southern California. I called my good friend, John Stucky, who was running the strength program at the University of Tennessee at the time, and asked him who was the best coach on his staff. I regarded John Stucky as the best strength and conditioning coach in college football, and I knew whoever h e called his top guy was the second best. He gave me Chriss name and number, and I called him up. Chris told me he had been diagnosed with Hodgkins disease, and my only question was, does that mean you cant coach as well? He emphatically replied with a No sir, and I asked if he could be here on Monday.

For the next 18 years, we developed a friendship and program that would take two organizations to the top of the game, winning a Super Bowl, two college football national championships and seven consecutive PAC-10 championships. Chris played a big part in the preparation of the athletes, but the biggest role that he played was as a messaging agent for me.

When you are developing a culture, a head football coach is the main voice of the team. But it is essential that you have a person who, using their own voice, passes on the message daily. As a head coach, I wasnt able to be with the players too much. In the winter, it was because of recruiting, and in the summer, the NCAA rules stated that a football coach wasnt allowed to watch (or really even be around the players). This is a crucial 16 weeks (8 in the spring and 8 in the summer), and I needed a person who understood my vision and was a loyal lieutenant.

Coach C, as Coach Carlisle was known to all of our athletes, was the best at this. He made a difference with each athlete dailynot only physically but also in developing the always compete attitude that we needed to build a successful organization. His ability to motivate the least motivated was an everyday sort of thing. Where he excelled was continuing to motivate those who were at the top of their game. In sports, as it is in life, when people get to the top, they have a tendency to relax. Chris would not have that for a minute. All-Conference players one year would become All-Americans the next. All-Americans would then become Heisman Trophy winners and first-round draft choices.

One of the things I quickly learned about Coach C was that he had a wealth of knowledge in the area of history and a natural talent for storytelling. He could take three totally different entities and weave them into a teachable moment that not only the players would take away, but the entire football staff and anyone lucky enough to hear his Friday walkthrough masterclass on motivation!