HOF Insights: Books, Movies, and Mentors (Part 1)

These HOF Coaches share some of their “favorites.” They reveal their favorite sports movies, sports books, best games or venues attended as a fan, mentors, memorable advice, and the fantasy dinner guests. 

Greg King- Sterling

Favorite Sports Movies
1. Brian’s Song - The Original with James Caan and Billy Dee Williams.  The iconic music can still bring a tear!
2. Miracle - Remember where I was the night that the US beat Russia (basketball game in Fulton)
3. Bull Durham - “Don’t think, it only hurts the ball club!”  You ask my kids or for OL…probably have used this thousands of times!

Favorite Sports Books
1. Friday Night Lights - Texas High School Football - way better than the movie
2. The Junction Boys - About Bear Bryant’s 1st team at Texas A & M
3. The Right Kind of Hero - About Bob Shannon and East St. Louis Football

Best Games Attended as Fan
1.  1985 Bears 1st round victory over the NY Giants - Sean Landeta missing the punt that was returned by Shaun Gayle was right in front of of us.
2. Loudest Environment - Blackhawks National Anthem
3.  Seahawks football game - Screaming at the top of their lungs for an entire game 

Mentors
1. Don Wygowski - Amboy High School - His infectious personality and the love for the game of football.  What other HS football coach would let their players call the plays??
2. Bob Reade - Augustana College - Taught me the importance of discipline and fundamentals are the keys to winning - 3 things win football games - Blocking, Tackling, and running hard
3.  Vic Boblett - Rock Island - He taught me the importance of having your program vertically aligned from the lower levels to high school.  As how to be the head coach of a high school program

Memorable Quoates
1. Coach Gary Jones Amboy HS - OL/DL Coach - It is not a sin to get knocked down, it is a sin to stay down!”
2. Don Davis - in referring to the OL battles at Augustana College- “You, Me, Football”

Five People for Dinner
1. Pete Carroll
2. Reggie Bush
3. Mike Ditka
4. Michael Jordon
5. Caleb Williams

Kathy Bresnahan- Iowa City West

Favorite Sports Movies

The Miracle Season, A League of their Own,, The Field of Dreams

Best Games Attended as Fan

Caitlyn Clark's all time scoring record, Tiger Woods's playing at the Quad City Open, Milwaukee Bucks when Abdul Jabar was playing

Mentors

My high school PE teacher and track  coach, Sue Wehnke.  She was such an incredible role model that I switched from wanting to be a vet to being a teacher and coach. We still have an amazing relationship

Coach on Speed Dial

There was only one person I turned to as a coach, Tom Keating, who was the volleyball coach at  Dubuque Wahlert and is now in charge of the boys athletic union in Iowa.   When my all star player was killed in the pre-season, he was the first person I called for help

Memorable Quote

Your players won't care how much knowledge you have air the sport until they know you care about them as a person

Five People for Dinner

Lady Gaga

Oprah Winfrey

Michelle Obama

Whoopi Goldberg

Hillary Clinton

Mike Tracey- UT, Alleman

Favorite Sports Books

The Junction Boys

The Hundred Yard War

Ball Four

Favorite Sports Movies

The Natural

Rudy

Slapshot

Best High School Venues

Wharton Field House- Basketball and Pro wrestling, Hogan v. Rick Flair 

RIHS Almquist Field- Football

Washington HS Football Field

Guests for Dinner

Larry David

Billy Bob Thornton

Steven Colbert 

Jon Stewart (The Daily Show)

Mentor/Advice

The late Wayne DeSutter- Football Coach- Sherrard

Fr. Daniel Mirabelli- Chaplain, Alleman High School

Best Advice

Do what is right, because you know what is right or wrong.

Football Motto-Play hard, have fun, and be physical

Tim Engebretson- United

Best Sports Movies

Field of Dreams (Not only a great movie. My first date with my wife.)

Miracle

Hoosiers

Best Sports Books

Friday Night Lights

Raw Recruits

Best Sporting Event Attended as Fan

Excluding all of my kids' games

NLDS Game 1 2016

Numerous Cubs games in 1984.

1977 Notre Dame vs. Air Force

Mentors

Rusty Egan - My Jr High basketball coach.

Ben McIntosh - Coach at Warren and United HS  the entire time I was there.       Dennis Larson - Head FB coach at Knoxville HS when I was an asst. there.

Coaches on Speed Dial

Ben McIntosh, John Reynolds, Steve Cairns, Ron Nelson, Rick Johnson, Job       Linboom, Jim Noonan, Tony Kozelichki, Butch Avery, Ty Trotter. Coaches I           worked with at Warren and United.

Memorable Quote

Be careful when you are arguing with an idiot because he probably is too. My      Father.

Five Guests for Dinner

Tom Osborne, Steve Kerr, Ben Zobrist, Nick Saban, Joe Maddon

Jeff Parsons- Roseville, Wethersfield, Fulton

Best Sports Movie

Hoosiers-Small town history winning a championship and the David vs Goliath theme.

Best Sports/Leadership Book

Lead for God's Sake by Todd Gongwer-Must read for any leader, Coach or Team Leader of any kind. So many life lessons. 

Best Sporting Event Attended as Fan

1997 Super-Sectional-Rock Island Alleman vs Williamsfield. The true David vs Goliath. Williamsfield won with All-Stater Travis Lewis. Williamsfield defeated an Alleman team that had most players back from a team that got 3rd in state the previous season. In my mind, Coach Anderson was the only Coach in America that could have pulled off the win for his team. A true legendary, HOF performance. 

Mentor, Coach on Speed Dial

Coach Bob Anderson-I was lucky to have played for Coach Anderson at Billtown. I would not be the Coach that I was or inducted into the IBCA HOF without having played for him and have our relationship throughout my coaching career. We shared a lot of time as we both coached with scouting reports. I was always calling him to pick his brain about an opponent. He was a coach I always had on speed dial if I needed anything. If he didn't answer, he would be sure to get back to me asap.

Memorable Quote

"What is your Standard" Whatever you allow will be the standard. The more difficult the standard is to achieve, the harder you have to work, making a tough goal attainable through hard work.  HARD WORK WINS.

Five Guests for Dinner

Michael Jordan-His competitive greatness and never settling for less than the best. 

Tom Brady-199th pick overall in the NFL Draft (6th Round). He went from someone that wasn't sure he would make it into the pro's to winning 7 super bowls. 

Albert Pujols-Arguably the greatest Right handed hitter of my generation, started out as the 402nd pick overall in the 13th round baseball draft. 

Phil Jackson-Yes he had great players but he multiple championships with multiple franchises was very impressive.  The "Zen Master" always had great philosophical quotes. To manage greatness is not easy and to get them to a championship level and play together is even more impressive. 

Mike Krzyzewski finished his Career with 1202 career wins. I would love to sit down and pick his brain.