Lou Holtz, fully Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz

I have never heard a successful man or woman get up and say, "I owe my success to drugs and alcohol."

If you continually ask yourself, "What's important now?", you won't waste time on the trivial.

You always have to prepare for the obstacles that are going to come. Consequently, when they do come, it doesn't affect you mentally near as much as when you're unprepared for them.

Patience isn't a virtue; it's a necessity.

The only people who aren't going to be criticized are those who do absolutely nothing.

When you concern yourself with the welfare of others, you engender loyalty and respect. You create value. And you acquire power.

The standards you establish for others must reflect the standards you set for yourself. No one will follow a hypocrite.

Caring about somebody doesn't mean making it easy for them. Caring is helping them to develop their traits and talents.

Ideas are funny things; they don't work unless you do.

There is a thin line between discipline and harassment. Discipline breeds success; harassment breeds contempt.

So many times people are afraid of competition, when it should bring out the best in us. We all have talents and abilities, so why be intimidated by other people's skills?

I always tell our athletes, "The qualities you develop now, the things we're going to insist upon, will be with you for life, and they'll always be as sound and as good as they are now." All we're really talking about is a commitment to excellence.

You choose your friends, you choose your environment, you choose your actions. And you will be held accountable.

There are only three things you can do when you have a problem with somebody. Change him, accept him, or divorce yourself from him.

The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it.

Winners and losers aren't born, they are the products of how they think.

Never tell your problems to anyone...20% don't care and the other 80% are glad you have them.

You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose.

You'll never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with him.

When all is said and done, more is said than done.

Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity.

No one has ever drowned in sweat.

Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated.

Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.