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One of my favorite parts of the holidays is that they include college football bowl games. The time of year when fan bases get a truly honest understanding of just how good this years team is.

Spoiler alert: few are as good as their X-posting fan bases believe.

This year’s bowl season has given us entertaining last second wins as well as blowouts. But it’s also shined the light brightly on coaches and their leadership.

There’s a late-career connection in that many only get their biggest opportunities after years of struggle. So – a little college football fodder for your own startup thinking.

Let's get into it.

• Gmail users may wish to read online since some parts may be clipped.

• Comment below and let me know if we’re on the right track.

Table of Contents

• Pull to Eject

• Modern Tools

• Free Knowledge

• Recommendations

• Visual Crapshoot

Pull to Eject

Everybody is an athletic freak in the NFL, but for me, the college game – despite the taint of NIL, corporate dollars and mediocre NCAA leadership – still represents the best football.

College kids can make phenomenal plays or boneheaded mistakes that turn a game. Coaches have risk and reward moments throughout every game that can cement their future or make them uproot their families … again. It’s crazy good entertainment.

But the best teams all have one thing in common: outstanding leadership.

No one embodies that more than Nick Saban. As a college football coach, Saban won seven national titles (at both LSU and Alabama) and one unclaimed national title, the most in college football history. Saban's career record as a college head coach is 292–71–1. Along with the National titles, he also won 9 SEC titles, coached 4 Heisman Trophy winners and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last year.

Sabans excellence was personally painful as his teams beat my Georgia teams frequently in SEC championships and National title games.

Saban turned his coaching success into premium priced ($250,000) late-career speaking engagements to share his collected wisdom. Aflac, Mercedes Benz, Home Depot, VRBO and other companies pay him to represent their values in advertisements. (see Influencers aren’t a new trend). Corporate pays him willingly because of Saban’s reputation.

But he also left the coaching woodpile far higher than he found it by seeding current programs with his successful program traits. 14 current head coaches including Kirby Smart (Georgia), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), and Lane Kiffin (LSU) all understudied with Saban. Incredibly, this year’s final 4 teams all have former Saban assistants as their head coaches.

Not being an Indiana fan, I’ve found the most interesting story in Curt Cignetti - the ‘cocky nerd.’

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti didn’t become a head coach until age 49. Like other late-career business leaders, he didn’t start at the top of the profession. He had good and bad stints along the way that formed his coaching template and leadership style.

He took over a losing IUP program as his first head coach job. He improved them and got his second head coaching job at Elon. He improved them. And then another at JMU. Fifteen years later, he’s leading the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers in their best season in program history.

He learned under Saban, but he’s imprinted the Indiana program with his ideas and culture. And his ideas are very useful for any business owner. His interviews over the past few weeks have given the world a glimpse into what Indiana (and JMU etc) all knew - Cignetti is singularly focused on success. And he is an incredible leader.

He is a stickler for not wasting time. Not his players time. Not his coaches time. He teaches in short time periods. 90 minutes is enough. His coaching style is relentless. Surgical. Non emotional. Hyper-efficient.

The culture he has created has not only elevated Indiana football, but just like Nick Saban, it has positively touched hundreds of lives. This year Gignetti’s culture also produced Indiana’s first Heisman Trophy winner, QB Fernando Mendoza.

Over the weekend Indiana crushed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. The same Alabama that Saban coached to greatness was boat-raced by the old assistant coach. In October, the university rewarded him with a contract extension worth more than $11 million per year. He’s come a long way.

Cignetti learned from the best, but added his own style along the way. And his style won games. A lot of them. Cignetti is now in the company of only a very few best of the best.

He is his own kind of leader. And this week’s reminder to make your own path.

Now go launch something 🚀 

Modern Tools

Do you pay yourself? Or have your first employee? Do you have freelancers? Or just need help managing all the things related to payroll, taxes and benefits?

if you answered ‘Yes’, you need Gusto. Earn $100 VISA card after running your first payroll.

Free Knowledge

Nick Saban tackles the dangers of mediocrity and shares his secrets to achieving excellence.

Recommendations

💼 Thriving Freelance - Gigs and Growth : Hundreds of job opportunities sent directly to your inbox each week, plus timely resources to support you as you grow and evolve.

🗃️ Dealroom Business Success Uncovered : Learn directly from billionaire entrepreneurs on how to grow a business. Join a community of 2,000+ innovators.

Visual Crapshoot