"Don't Call Me Coach: A Lesson Plan for Life" - by Phil Martelli and Harold Gullan, Ph.D.
Saint Joseph's basketball coach Phil Martell makes his debut in the literary world, as his book entitled "Don't Call Me Coach: A Lesson Plan for Life" is now available. It is co-written by Martelli and Harold Gullan, Ph.D.
In the book, Martelli passes on what he has learned from his own rich experience, which includes over 30 years of coaching at the high school and college levels. One of America's most colorful, outspoken, and successful coaches, Martelli compresses his three decades of experience into a 10-point "lesson plan for life" that will benefit anyone, no matter what the challenges may be. He speaks equally to teachers, parents, educators, and business executives--in short, to anyone who plays the role of coach in daily life.
Gullan, a noted historian and sports fan, is also the author of The Upset That Wasn't, Faith of Our Mothers, First Fathers, and Jumping Through Hoops.
The book, published by Camino Books of Philadelphia, includes a forward from Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.
"Don't Call Me Coach: A Lesson Plan for Life"
Available at:
Camino Books www.caminobooks.com
Saint Joseph's University Bookstore www.sju.edu
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble Book Stores
Borders Book Stores
Upcoming Phil Martelli Book Signings/Discussions:
Wednesday, December 7 - Haverford Township Library (1601 Darby Rd., Havertown, PA) - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 13 - Saint Joseph's University Bookstore - 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 13 - Barnes & Noble, Broomall, PA (Lawrence Park Shopping Center, 1901 Sproul Rd.) - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, December 14 - Barnes & Noble, Wilmington, DE (Concord Mall, 4801 Concord Pike) - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 15 - St. Jude Shop, Havertown, PA (21 Brookline Blvd.) - Noon to 2 p.m.
Book Synopsis: At last, those of us not lucky enough to hear Phil Martelli in person can now draw inspiration from his book. "Don't Call Me Coach" ($24.95 hardcover) presents him at his compelling and captivating best, as he finally puts into print the mantra of his memorable speeches. In fact one of America's most colorful, outspoken, and successful coaches, Martelli compresses his three decades of experience into a ten-point "lesson plan for life" that will benefit anyone, no matter what the challenges may be.
"We are all coaches," he insists, and each of us represents a book of unique experiences others can learn from. We are defined not by what we do, but by who we are. Yet we should not take ourselves seriously, but, rather, what we do. And so, even though he was named college basketball's Coach of the Year in 2004, this quintessentially regular Philly guy prefers not to be addressed as Coach Martelli. "If you will, just call me Phil....This book is my conversation with you."
This unpretentious tone pervades Don't Call Me Coach--as distinctively different from most life-lessons books as Martelli's spontaneous HawkTalk is from other coaches' tightly scripted TV shows. Martelli's experiences within his own extended family--often funny, sometimes poignant, and always instructive--form a warmly personal background to everything he spells out in his book. Having turned down far more lucrative offers to coach at mega-universities, Martelli enters another new season at the helm of the storied men's basketball program at Philadelphia's Saint Joseph's University. As he puts it, "You have to know where your heart is."
These expressions of his heart and mind will resonate in yours, no matter where you went to school, and whether you're an avid sports fan or not. As Phil concludes, "The Hawk Will Never Die!" is more than the slogan of one specific university. It represents the will to excel, to never give in--an approach to life we can all share.
