Bo Schembechler Quotes & Sayings

If you do not like people, you will not take the time to get to know them, and if you don't get to know them, you will have no idea what scares them, what inspires them, what motivates them. — Bo Schembechler

Every coach, every executive, every leader: They all know right from wrong. Even those Enron guys. When someone uncovers a scandal in their company, I don't think they can say, "I didn't know that was going on." They're just saying they're too dumb to do their job! And if they really are too dumb, then why are they getting paid millions of dollars to do it? They know what's going on. — Bo Schembechler

The one surefire way to get me not to hire you is to send me your resume, especially if you've already got a good job. I won't be interested, because in a couple years, you'll be doing the same thing to me that you're doing to your current boss: looking for a better deal. — Bo Schembechler

Deep down, your players must know you care about them. This is the most important thing. I could never get away with what I do if the players feel I didn't care for them. They know, in the long run, I'm in their corner. — Bo Schembechler

The team, the team, the team. — Bo Schembechler

If you think my career has been a failure because I have never won a national title, you have another thing coming. — Bo Schembechler

Not making a decision is the worst thing you can do. So long as you feel you made the right decision based on the information you had at that time, there's no need to fret about it. If it fails, you'll know what to do next time. — Bo Schembechler

We're gonna believe in each other, we're not gonna criticize each other, we're not gonna talk about each other, we're gonna encourage each other — Bo Schembechler

No man is more important than The Team. No coach is more important than The Team. The Team, The Team, The Team, and if we think that way, all of us, everything that you do, you take into consideration what effect does it have on my Team? — Bo Schembechler

I do not believe in sitting on a problem. Because the longer you sit on that thing, the longer it'll irritate you. If you're keeping it to yourself, there's nothing the guy you're mad at can do to fix it, either, because you haven't told him why you're mad. — Bo Schembechler

When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing — Bo Schembechler

Every day you either get better or you get worse. You never stay the same. — Bo Schembechler

I figured this was the easy stuff, and if we couldn't show up on time, looking right and acting right, we weren't going to be able to do anything else. — Bo Schembechler

No coach is more important than the Team — Bo Schembechler

If you want to become a great leader, you need to prepare yourself to become a great leader, and the best way to do that is to study great leaders. — Bo Schembechler

Those who stay will be champions — Bo Schembechler

I have never played a game for the national title. Our goals always have been to win the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl. If we do that, then we consider it a successful season. — Bo Schembechler

Every day we get better, or we get worse. — Bo Schembechler

For God's sakes, quit worrying about your next job. Just do the best you can at the job you have now, and the offers will come. And when they do, if you have confidence in yourself you don't have to feel that you can't turn it down if it isn't quite right for you because you fear you'll never get another offer. You will. Wait for the right opportunity, and turn down all the rest. It will make all the difference. — Bo Schembechler

You don't treat the so-called little people poorly, because we don't have any little people here! The trainers, the managers, the secretaries, the people who work in the dorms and cafeterias and classroom buildings are all professionals, and they're all important or they wouldn't be working for Michigan football. — Bo Schembechler

The upset is in the mind of the favorite. — Bo Schembechler

I never brought it up when I coached, but I have close ties at Ohio State. Unfortunately, I even have a graduate degree from there. — Bo Schembechler

By your own soul, learn to live.
If some men force you, take no heed.
If some men hate you, have no care.
Sing your song, dream your dreams
Hope your hopes, and pray your prayers. — Bo Schembechler

If you want to be a truly great leader, you'll develop other great leaders below you. — Bo Schembechler

You can NOT be a leader unless you like people! You've got to spend time with them, so you know them. You've got to be interested in who they are, what they do away from the job, and how they think. — Bo Schembechler

Early is on time and on time is late. — Bo Schembechler

A Michigan man is going to coach Michigan. — Bo Schembechler

Nothing good ever happens after midnight. — Bo Schembechler