Tony Dungy: How Many Days Does it Take to Prepare for Any Football Game?

Former NFL/Super Bowl Coach Tony Dungy:

…I completely believe that three days is all that is needed to prepare for a football game.  Any football game.  That’s a lesson I learned from Chuck Noll and Denny Green.  I also believe that time spent beyond those three days is more likely to be unproductive rather than helpful.  I was always willing to listen and learn, but I never heard anything compelling that convinced me otherwise.  Maybe my approach was wrong, but we posted some pretty solid results over my thirteen years as a head coach using that process, and Chuck Noll and Denny Green had their share of success as well.

Therefore, whether it was the opening game of the regular season, a midseason game against a team with a poor record, or our Super Bowl appearance against the Bears, I approached each game the same way.  As a result, I believe our players performed at as high a level as possible, achieving consistent, sustainable results.  When you are leading, your goals should be to achieve success and significance over the long term, not to be just a flash in the pan.

From The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently by Tony Dungy.