Rating: 
Summary: Lessons for a lifetime
Review: I've read several books by coaches, but this is by far the best. It has a great deal of meat on the bones that provides plenty of food for thought and reflection.
Rating: 
Summary: A Creighton fan's take
Review: If you've grown up with TO in Nebraska like I have, you've been through a lot. Most of us lambasted him in the 80's and hero-worshiped him in the 90's. I received this book as a gift and was a little skeptical myself. TO's values lend themselves to preaching, but this book was refreshing in that sense, and I'm glad that I was able to get beyond that because it's had a positive impact on the way I coach my athletes. While there are times it sounds like Osborne is seeking attonment for some of the things he's been crucified for (such as going for two vs. Miami, or the handling of Lawrence Phillips) Osborne gets to the meat of his coaching and philosophies and this is the value of the book. The writing isn't overly poetic, but that probably reflects the fact that it's Osborne, not a co-author setting down the words. There's some awkwardness and some dry humor that no self-respecting co-author would let through in an attempt to put together a 'serious' book, but that too makes the book refreshing, and gives Osborne credibility (in my mind) because you know it's from the heart. This book stands alongside 'They Call Me Coach' by John Wooden and 'Tuesdays with Morrie' by Mitch Albom as the three most influential books in my young coaching career
Rating:
Summary: ...helped in my own coaching
Review: If you've grown up with TO in Nebraska like I have, you've been through a lot. Most of us lambasted him in the 80's and hero-worshiped him in the 90's. I received this book as a gift and was a little skeptical myself. TO's values lend themselves to preaching, but this book was refreshing in that sense, and I'm glad that I was able to get beyond that because it's had a positive impact on the way I coach my athletes. While there are times it sounds like Osborne is seeking attonment for some of the things he's been crucified for (such as going for two vs. Miami, or the handling of Lawrence Phillips) Osborne gets to the meat of his coaching and philosophies and this is the value of the book. The writing isn't overly poetic, but that probably reflects the fact that it's Osborne, not a co-author setting down the words. There's some awkwardness and some dry humor that no self-respecting co-author would let through in an attempt to put together a 'serious' book, but that too makes the book refreshing, and gives Osborne credibility (in my mind) because you know it's from the heart. This book stands alongside 'They Call Me Coach' by John Wooden and 'Tuesdays with Morrie' by Mitch Albom as the three most influential books in my young coaching career
Rating:
Summary: Oh Ye Of Little Faith! YES, a solid Christian coach CAN win!
Review: In this new book just released a couple days ago, Coach Osborne is able to distill-down into about 160 pages what he believes are the reasons for his success as a coach, father and human being. When he was being criticized by nearly EVERYONE for not being able to win the "big game" because he's too nice a guy, he stuck to his guns and eventually came out on top. He created a family atmosphere with his players and stood behind them when they won games, as well as when they were being hauled into court. He proves that you DON'T have to make a pact with the Devil to succeed in today's world. The book also outlines some principals that he believes could help to alleviate some of the problems caused by the morality vacuum in which today's youth are being raised. After hanging up his whistle and sideline headset, Dr. Tom continues to teach at the University and works with several organizations to improve young people's lives. Who could possibly want more from a man? This is a "must read" book for any coach, teacher or youth pastor.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay, so the style isn't Nabokov. But it's sound stuff.
Review: The premise of Faith In the Game is simple: It's a conservative primer for life. Now, whether you agree with everything within or not is your call, but Osborne successfully states his cases while interweaving stories of his own football team over the years. His transition from society to football is pretty effortless, quite frankly, and the book serves as a nice, non-confrontational entry into conservative living and philosophy. For all those people out there who are fed up with the liberal world -- and I am not one of them, mind you -- I'd suggest this book a thousand times over before I'd let them within 20 miles of Ann Coulter's rants. Unlike Coulter and other conservative zealots, Osborne starts at the ground level of living -- for the coach, it's character -- and builds from there. In other words, the book is more a plan than an argument. And plans are generally quite a bit more persuasive. Osborne always worked in the here and now, so this is not much of a grand memoir. He's still into trying to turn it all around. Frankly, I think some of these societal problems are beyond his grasp -- Osborne is too kind and sympathetic to consider our society as anything more than a collection of misguided folks, it seems -- but you won't find a lot of sports coaches who have actually considered these issues the way Osborne has. Faith in the Game is the work of a thoughtful man.
Rating:
Summary: Good, solid story of how Nebraska does it right
Review: This is a neat book. It is fascinating, it has scores of information about how the Huskers built their program, and it is written in exactly the right amount of detail, including the technical details. If you are a coach in any sport, if you are a Husker fan, or if you are a Tom Osborne fan, this book is a good read. It is also an excellent gift. It is one of the five best sports books I have read in the last few years. You can't miss with Faith in the Game.
Rating:
Summary: Good, solid story of how Nebraska does it right
Review: This is a neat book. It is fascinating, it has scores of information about how the Huskers built their program, and it is written in exactly the right amount of detail, including the technical details. If you are a coach in any sport, if you are a Husker fan, or if you are a Tom Osborne fan, this book is a good read. It is also an excellent gift. It is one of the five best sports books I have read in the last few years. You can't miss with Faith in the Game.
Rating:
Summary: Old Values and Chronic Success
Review: Tom Osborne is one of the most successful college football coaches in history. His book is a wonderful treatise on how coaches and people can improve their lives and chances of success by simply preaching and practicing the basic values of our society. This book is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly fragmented and confused society. It is noteworthy that Tom Osborne's success is particularly remarkable because he never had the advantages of recruiting from a deep talent pool in Nebraska, and many of his players came from high school programs where 8 man football was common. Osborne overcame these obstacles with basic hard work, religious faith, and teamwork. This is a great book for any coach, manager, or parent. Highly recommmended. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the book is relatively short, and I would've loved to read on for several more chapters.
Rating:
Summary: The Philosophy of Coaching
Review: When I began reading this book, I expected to read about the career of Tom Osborne. At first, I was a little disappointed. While the book contained passages that described some of the top games, and stories about some of the players who, for better or worse, made the Nebraska Cornhuskers what they are, it focused mostly on a philosophy of life that happened to take place on a football field. This is an inside look at what it takes to be a great leader. This book is a must for any coach of any sport. It shows what it takes to create quality student athletes. It is not about winning, even though Tom Osborne tells us that if you do all these things winning will occur anyway. It is really about creating quality-minded citizens who also have athletic abilities. I had the honor of speaking with Tom Osborne in 1984. He was an amazing man. I cannot attribute this to his being a famous person. He was amazing because he had a quality about him that very few people(particularly, college football coaches) have. This is a great book.
Rating:
Summary: The Philosophy of Coaching
Review: When I began reading this book, I expected to read about the career of Tom Osborne. At first, I was a little disappointed. While the book contained passages that described some of the top games, and stories about some of the players who, for better or worse, made the Nebraska Cornhuskers what they are, it focused mostly on a philosophy of life that happened to take place on a football field. This is an inside look at what it takes to be a great leader. This book is a must for any coach of any sport. It shows what it takes to create quality student athletes. It is not about winning, even though Tom Osborne tells us that if you do all these things winning will occur anyway. It is really about creating quality-minded citizens who also have athletic abilities. I had the honor of speaking with Tom Osborne in 1984. He was an amazing man. I cannot attribute this to his being a famous person. He was amazing because he had a quality about him that very few people(particularly, college football coaches) have. This is a great book.
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