Octagon Speakers
Coaching the best American swimmer to Olympic greatness might not be easy, but it has been worth it. Bob Bowman achieved great success at the international level as personal coach for the Olympic Legend Michael Phelps. Under the passionate coaching of Bowman, Phelps won an Olympic-record eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, bringing Phelps' total to 14 Olympic golds overall. Bowman's contribution to the sport has been awarded with the USA Swimming Developmental Coach of the Year and the ASCA Coach of the Year Award. Not one to rest on his laurels, Bowman has already turned his focus to the London Games in 2012 and will surely have Phelps poised to continue his great success.
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The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach stepped down on January 5, 2007 as the longest tenured head coach in the NFL after a 15 year run. In Cowher’s 15 seasons, the Steelers captured eight division titles, earned ten postseason playoff berths, advanced to six AFC Championship games and made two Super Bowl appearances. In 2006, the Steelers won Super Bowl XL under his direction, his first ever championship. In 2007, Cowher joined CBS Sports to bring his experience, knowledge and passion for the game as an analyst for the Network’s NFL studio show, THE NFL TODAY. Cowher can get the best out of anyone who surrounds him as his voice and opinion are respected by all his players. His determination and hunger to succeed can easily be related towards making a business successful, and making every employee a team player.
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Jack Del Rio is the second head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and has made his mark with them since his start with them in 2003. With Del Rio as head coach, the Jacksonville defense ranked sixth in the NFL in yards allowed (305.2 per game) and fifth in points allowed (19.0). The offense ranked fourth in rushing yards (131.1) and third in fewest turnovers (138). In 2000, Del Rio served as linebackers coach for what is widely considered to be one of the the greatest defenses in NFL history, the Super Bowl XXXV Champion Baltimore Ravens. During his playing career, Del Rio was an All-American linebacker at the University of Southern California, as well as a Pro Bowl selection in 1994 with the Minnesota Vikings. A star in two sports, he was also drafted out of high school by Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays. Although Del Rio has made a career out of playing and coaching college and professional football, he has also been a...
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Terry Francona defied history by leading the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series Championship in 86 years in 2004. After rebounding from a 0-3 deficit and defeating the arch-rival New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, the Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series to extinguish the curse that held Boston in misery for much of the past century. Just three years later, in 2007, the Sox swept the Colorado Rockies, winning their second World Series making Francona the only manager in MLB history to win his first eight consecutive World Series games. Terry Francona shares with audiences the successful coaching and leadership methods that brought his team, a self-described “bunch of idiots”, all the way to World Series victory in 2004 and then again in 2007. Using techniques culled from his many years as a player and a major-league coach, Francona shares his game plan for success. Through leadership, persistence and teamwork, he...
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Tom has the distinction and honor of being the “winningest” Davis Cup Captain in U.S. history. With his guidance and coaching, tennis greats like John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang came together as a team and won Two Davis Cup World Championships. With Tom as their leader, world renowned “celebrity athletes” and other world-class champions learned what it was like to leave their egos at the door and serve a larger mission: winning team championships. These lessons did not come easily and Tom now shares with corporate executives, Boards of Directors, and professional athletes the winning approach he took in order to transform highly motivated individuals into team members, working together to achieve their common goal.
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Using the insights, inspirations and proven principles he has applied to his coaching of such legendary players as Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara, Haney reveals clear, passionate guidelines on reaching for and achieving success. While focusing on such points as creating and executing a plan; commitment, and overcoming mistakes, Hank has recently spoken to such companies as Prudential Securities, Merrill Lynch, Golf Digest, Wachovia Bank, Eli Lilly, Lexus, and LG Electronics. Haney’s popular golf show, “The Haney Project,” on which he transformed Charles Barkley’s unusual golf swing, will feature TV’s Ray Romano in its new season premiering spring 2010.
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Marvin Lewis was handed his dream in 2003 when he was named the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Just two years after joining the franchise, Lewis led the Bengals to their first winning season and division title in 15 years. Prior to coming to Cincinnati, Lewis led the defensive squad of the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens as their defensive coordinator in 2000. Lewis' reputation as a defensive genius and a rising star among the ranks of the NFL's assistant coaches was solidified by the dominating performance of the Ravens. Lewis not only spends time with his players on the field but also with the Cincinnati community and has already made an indelible impression in the community. Lewis made over 100 appearances in just his first two years and has become involved in over 15 different organizations. In 2003, Lewis and his wife Peggy launched the Marvin Lewis Community Fund to empower, educate, and inspire children while enriching the Cincinnati...
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Joe Maddon has revolutionized manager positions in sports. He is the living representation of what hard work, determination, and perseverance can bring to a struggling team looking for a leader. As the fourth manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Maddon has legendarily transformed the face of the team from a “laughable disjoined bunch of rookies and castoffs into a vibrant collection of up-and-arriving talent” (Schwartz). In his first season as manager, Maddon led the Rays to 41 wins at their home turf Tropicana Field, the most in the team’s history. Before Maddon, the Rays never won more than 70 games in their first seasons of existence and went 66-96 last year, the worst record in the American League. However, now with Maddon as their team manager, an individual who has been described by his players as calm, quiet, and trusting, the Rays finished the 2008 season in first place and advanced to their first World Series in franchise history. Maddon has received much...
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Known for his explosive personality and contagious passion, Lou Piniella has redefined manager positions in baseball. Often hailed as a “miracle worker” by Cub fans and players alike, Piniella has leveraged the Cubs’ success substantially in his first two seasons as the 26th manager. Within this time frame, Piniella has guided the club to 182-141 record, consecutive National League central Division titles, and is the first Cubs manager to lead the club to consecutive post-season berths since the early 20th century. According to Cubs Vice-President/General Manager Jim Hendry: “Lou exudes success, is an excellent leader, and brings a humble, confident swagger to our entire organization.”Piniella has served as a Major League manager for a total of 20 seasons, and prior to joining the Cubs, Piniella managed the New York Yankees (1986-1988), Cincinnati Reds (1990-1992), Seattle Mariners (1993-2002), and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003-2005). Piniella has received much recognition...
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As NFL player turned head coach, Dan Reeves is ranked sixth All-Time for his career wins as a coach in NFL history and is a two-time recipient of the NFL Coach of the Year award in 1993 and 1998. His nine Super bowl appearances are still the most of any player or coach in the NFL. Reeves is currently working as an advisor on the collegiate level and covering NFL games as color analyst.
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Byron Scott, former head coach of the New Orleans Hornets, used hard work, focus and determination as his strategy to produce a winning team out of the Hornets. Scott, a three-time NBA champion as a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers took his experience of reaching the NBA finals twice as head coach of the New Jersey Nets to help the Hornets become a championship-caliber team. Scott’s cutting-edge coaching led him to be named the head coach of the 2008 Western Conference All-Star team. Giving back to his community is essential to Scott. Scott established the Byron Scott Children’s Fund in 1984 soon after joining the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. The mission is to benefit children who have medial, educational or emotional problems, as well as to serve as consultants to start-up or small non-profit charitable organizations that do not have the experience to survive without financial or administrative assistance. Over the last decade alone, the...
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Coach Jeff Tedford has been slated as the reason the California Gold Bears’ football program has been so successful. Tedford was a player in the Canadian Football League for six years, and then later became a coach for his alma mater, Fresno State. Tedford’s coaching skills were admired quickly and he was given the head coaching job at UC Berkeley in 2002. The previous year, in 2001, the Golden Bears posted a 1-10 record. In his first outing in the head coaching role, Tedford lead his squad to a 7-5 mark, their first winning record since 1993. The Golden Bears were named the biggest turnaround team of the year and Tedford was chosen as the Pac-10 coach of the year. The Bears finished the 2004 season as the No. 9 team in the country after posting a 10-2 record and have been ranked in the top 25 ever since. "Coach Tedford wasn't just a coach, I think of him as more like a father figure. He teaches us lessons about life. He teaches us to have integrity, to have...
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Jim Tressel has been an impressive success in the world of coaching college football. Tressel’s 21 years of accomplishments on the field have earned him numerous coaching honors, including being selected as the Chevrolet National Coach of the Year in 1993, ’94 and ’97; the American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in 1991, ’94 and 2002; and the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year in 1994 and 2002. He also was the AFCA’s Regional Coach of the Year in 1987 and ’93 and a six-time pick as Ohio Coach of the Year. Tressel’s has not only been devoted to the teams he has coached but has also been devoted to the communities surrounding those teams. Giving back has been something that has come naturally to Tressel. He works extensively with the Salvation Army and with Ronald McDonald’s Children’s Charities. Tressel’s deep involvement and genuine concern for his community, has made him a community icon.
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The national respect for Dick Vermeil truly transcends football. Considered one of the finest innovators and motivators the game has ever known, Vermeil's style has truly stood the test of time. Whether it was coaching championship football and swimming teams as a high school coach in California, re-establishing UCLA as a national collegiate powerhouse, or reaching the highest echelon of the pro profession by coaching a club to a Super Bowl championship, there's been virtually no challenge Vermeil hasn't stepped up to during his illustrious career. Legendary Coach Dick Vermeil is one of only four coaches in NFL history to guide two different teams to the Super Bowl. He has been named “Coach of the Year” on four levels: high school, junior college, NCAA Division I, and the NFL. Not to mention that he was the only coach to post victories in the Super Bowl and the Rose Bowl. Now he serves as the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he has put them back into contention for the...
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Charlie Weis has won four Super Bowl rings as the product of a stellar 15 season coaching career for the National Football League as an assistant coach. Weis, the former head coach at his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, is once again coaching in the NFL as offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs. Off the field, Weis founded the Hannah & Friends Foundation, named after his daughter. He has dedicated his time and passion into the foundation, which is dedicated to children affected by developmental disorders.
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As the most winning active coach in all of college basketball, Roy Williams has established his collegiate programs, Kansas and UNC, as being first-class in all aspects. During his coaching career, he has been to the Final Four seven times and won two NCAA Championships in 2005 and 2009. In honor of his tremendous achievements, Williams was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007. Williams recently wrote a book, “Hard Work: My Life on and Off the Court” in which he describes his personal and professional path to a Hall of Fame coaching career and two national championships. The autobiography, released in November 2009, has consistently ranked #1 on Amazon’s list of bests-selling coaching books. In addition to being one of the most successful coaches today, Williams is also one of the most respected in the game amongst both his peers and his athletes. "There's nothing deceptive about him. He is what he is - a wonderful person and a great...
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Tyrone Willingham was named the University of Washington's 22nd head football coach on December 13, 2004. A former head coach at Notre Dame and Stanford, Willingham became the first African-American to serve as the Huskies head coach. While he brings an impressive resume with him to resurrect the Husky program, Willingham has placed himself well among his peers for much more than just fielding winning teams. Over the past 28 years Willingham has developed a coaching style that emphasizes toughness, enthusiasm, intelligence, discipline, commitment and unselfish play. The result has provided his players with more than just the opportunity to enjoy victories on the field. His guiding principles have prepared his players to be successful in life.
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