Hal Mumme » Reviews

Wishbone Wisdom by: Al Pickett as told to by Emory Bellard

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:17:46 +0000

Had a chance to attend a Texas A&M luncheon in which Emory Ballard was the guest speaker. Was a great opportunity to listen to an innovator of the game and a great Texas Coach.

This book is a great read and an important one for many coaches to read. A quick read the book discusses the inception of the great wishbone offense in the late 1960’s. Always an enjoyment to understand how this game has developed and changed over the last hundred years.

Book Review: The Real All Americans by Sally Jenkins

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:26:03 +0000

If you love football and American History you will do like I did and read this. A wonderful book about the early beginnings of football and will only take a short amount of time to read. It reads like a novel and details Pop Warner’s days at Carlisle Indian School where Jim Thorpe became famous. For us coaches much of modern offense was also conceived in this time frame and at a school not talked about often. A must read for all aspiring young coaches.

Life Lessons of a Legend by Captain Tony Tarracino & Brad Manard

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:56:25 +0000

Mike Leach sent me this book. In 1990 Mike and I took a recruiting trip for Iowa Wesleyan College, we went to Florida and got several good players including a kicker from Key West. Our first trip to Key West so we go to Captain Tony’s Saloon one night and Mike and I end up meeting Captain Tony himself. Now this is a big deal for Jimmy Buffett fans. The song “Last Mango in Paris” is about the Captain.

The book is about Key West colorful former mayor and is well worth the time and money if you are a Buffett fan, Key West tourist, Red Raider fan, pirate, old movie fan or McMurry Indian in need of a laugh. Very entertaining although the first two chapters I found tedious but probably only because I know a lot of excitement was coming. Captain Tony led a very colorful life and I recommend this book highly.

Oh yea the co-author Brad Manard is a school superintendent from Iowa.

Book Review: Bear – The Hard Life and Good Times of Alabama’s Coach Bryant

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:40:41 +0000

This is an older book first published in 1974 by Sports Illustrated. Personally this is one of my favorite books about a high profile coach in our business. As a coach early in my career I asked my father what would be a great book to read to give me insight into the crazy football profession. His answer was this book on Bear Bryant written by the man himself.

The book not only talks about football but the path that delivered Coach Bryant from Moro Bottom, Arkansas to the sport and some amazing stories that he choose to share with us. Everyone knows the success and the value that Coach Bryant had on the game of football but the inside stories will provide entertainment value to the reader.

Chapter Eight – “The first thing a football coach needs when he is starting out is a wife who is willing to put up with a whole lot of neglect. The second thing is at least a five year contract. He needs five years so he can set up his program and surround himself with people who are winners, people who believe in what he is trying to do. And so he can weed out the hangers-on and the politicians who can’t help.”

Well said back in the early 1970’s and could not be truer in today’s football world. Bear’s book is filled with stories from early life in Arkansas, to the Bluegrass state of Kentucky and on to the Crimson Tide. Of course when Coach Mumme was at Kentucky there was always the talk of how we ran off Bear Bryant after he won the SEC championship and so did Rupp (basketball coach). How you ask? They gave Rupp a Cadillac with whitewall tires and Bear got a cigarette lighter! Straight from the book a story that had been told in Lexington was put to paper in Bear’s book.

I could go on and on and to this day this book sits on the shelf in my office. Now to find this book may take a little work. The first place to look is on Amazon where I found mine for $3.99. Good Luck and happy reading.

Book Review: “Play the Next Play” by June Mumme

admin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:24:33 +0000

This is a biography about the Mumme Family and a wife/mother’s triumph over breast cancer. Cancer is a devastating and severe disease that affects families across the nation in some capacity. Breast Cancer cases will reach almost 200,000 this year, however due to awareness and medical advancements the mortality rate is declining. June Mumme is a survivor and now a huge advocate for cancer research. In the past two seasons at New Mexico State University, June has helped implement the “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” drive. Thru her efforts in the community and state over $700,000 was raised to go toward breast cancer research. The Tough Enough to Wear Pink was also incorporated into the football games where players and coaches wear pink during the game to support the cause.

So as our first review we spotlight June Mumme’s accomplishments and honor all of those who have lost loved ones to this terrible disease.