How many different ways can a person be encouraged to give his or her best and never quit? Historical icons such as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ronald Reagan, Vince Lombardi and John Wooden are celebrated not only for their extraordinary accomplishments, but for their eloquent words and phrases that inspired others to greatness.

Rod Dedeaux also inspired success in his own charismatic and dynamic way. As head baseball coach at the University of Southern California for 45 years, he led the Trojans to a record 11 national championships and 28 conference titles. Dedeaux helped develop such future major league stars as Tom Seaver, Fred Lynn, Mark McGwire, Randy Johnson, Dave Kingman, Ron Fairly and Don Buford.

In his book, Never Make the Same Mistake Once -one of Dedeaux’s signature sayings – Robert Leach looks back at the lessons learned from a true legend, how he has applied those lessons to his own career as a successful teacher and former coach, and how anyone can benefit from these words of wisdom on the field and off.