Are you somebody who has ever lost focus in the middle of a task?
Do you repeatedly come up with awesome ideas but are rarely able to fully implement them?
Have you ever struggled to fall asleep because your mind is racing?
Has your energy ever dipped when you really needed it?
Are you somebody that knows there’s a better way but struggles to consistently implement it?
Football coaches are known for grinding and burning the midnight oil. It’s one thing to get your team ready, it’s another to make sure you’re leading from a stable place.
Would you like to find the secret to taking care of yourself mentally & physically so you can lead from a position of power?
I’m sure you realize that if you are out of balance you will be a detriment to your own cause… I have experienced this myself.
Welcome…
I’m going to show you how to:
- Redefine your work so it works for you.
- Leverage your time & energy for maximum productivity.
- Create a Football Life on your terms.
And, build momentum for a lifetime of success.
Now, this is how I’m going to do it…
First of all, you can count on me to create insightful, useful content that you can put to work in your personal and professional life.
To podcast a curation of profound knowledge for you with 3 distinct styles.
You will also receive my weekly newsletter, The Power Parthenon every Wednesday morning.
The Power Parthenon is specifically put together so you can easily digest the type of information that will aid you in your quest to make an impact.
“If you consider yourself a high achiever – someone who wants to create a football coaching life on your terms – then this is for you.”
Here’s what others have said about me…
Coach Matsakis is very detailed and meticulous about what he does. He’s well organized, and he has a flair for doing things that are unique. He’s an innovator that motivates his players and I think that’s beneficial in college football today. – Bill Snyder (Kansas State University, Member of College Football Hall of Fame)
Manny Matsakis had been the head coach at Emporia State in Kansas and started the magazine American Football Quarterly. I hired him as my assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. Manny is someone I relied on to help me build the program in Lubbock. He is very organized and can wear numerous hats administratively while coaching our players at a high level. Mike Leach (Mississippi State University Head Football Coach & Author of The New York Times bestseller, Swing Your Sword)
I first met Manny Matsakis in 1988 and found him to be one of the most intriguing and innovative thinkers that had ever been introduced to me. I continue that belief as I have traveled a path with him through his inception of American Football Quarterly (now Monthly) magazine and AFQ University clinics, to our parallel head coaching experiences, to Manny serving as my offensive coordinator of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. He takes a sensible approach born from the extensive study and he eliminates the clutter of preparation to efficiently manage the time of his staff and his life. Mike Kelly (Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Head Football Coach)
How I got to this point…
On August 19th, 2021 I was fired as the head football coach of the Defiance College Yellow Jackets, and although I didn’t know it at the time, it was the best thing that could ever happen to me.
The pain, agony, and sleepless nights that ensued were gutwrenching. I just couldn’t believe that while I was at the precipice of yet another turnaround (our systems were in place & loaded with talent) in my coaching career this all happened to me – or, did it?
I now realize I created all this myself.
I was embarrassed and really struggled to answer a question that Eli, my 9-year-old son asked me…
“Dad, I thought you were a good football coach, why did you get fired?”
As thoughts swirled through my head, I realized that I should be grateful for all the blessings in my life and although it could be worse I had to take ownership, quit blaming others, and overcome yet another adversity to show Eli that we can always create our world if we believe in ourself and live with passion.
Even though I wasn’t sure it would happen, the sun did rise in northwest Ohio.
It was now time to Do The Work! Pull myself up by my bootstraps, live my purpose and start creating life on my terms.
I then began to practice what I preach by taking the following actions.
Begin by putting my faith in a higher power and …
- Take 100% responsibility for my life.
- Get clear why I am here.
- Decide what I want.
- Believe in myself.
- Get after it!
These key success principles guided me out of the abyss to this moment.
I now live my purpose to teach those I have the pleasure to influence by delivering the type of content that I believe football coaches need on a regular basis.
I wake up every day, looking toward a future where we as the leaders of the next generation can help all those people we have the privilege to work with on a regular basis.
My goals are to inspire you through the actions that I take, the lessons that I learn, and the happiness I can share.
My guiding principles…
Here’s what keeps me on course.
- The best and worst things in life are usually the things that happen unplanned. When bad things happen, learn from them and vow not to repeat the behaviors that allowed them to happen. When good things come along, take advantage of them and learn how to create more good things like them to happen. Control what you can control.
- Whether success or failure, I want the satisfaction of knowing my results are my own. The greatest thrill is to experience the success that you created yourself. The joy comes from knowing that I did that. Taking pride in one’s craft and working hard for one’s own rewards is the opportunity of a lifetime. Failures happen along the way. When they occur, get up, dust yourself off, and move forward.
- The right path is the one you make for yourself that leads to your version of happiness. We all have different ideas about what happiness is, which is why we shouldn’t all follow the same path. To embrace our uniqueness, we must be willing to step off the prescribed path and forge our own. No matter what your goals are, there’s always more than one way to realize them. Gather profound knowledge and apply it in the direction you desire.
My football coaching journey…
Head Football Coach: Emporia State University (KS), Texas State University, Bethany College (KS), Enka High School (NC), and Defiance College (OH)
Assistant Head Coach: Texas Tech University
Offensive Coordinator: Hofstra University (NY), University of Wyoming, Capital University (OH), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL), and Widener University (PA)
Special Teams Coordinator: Kansas State University and Texas Tech University
Tight Ends Coach: Kansas State University
Receiver Coach: Barberton High School (OH)
Some personal information…
I am married to my wife Elizabeth and we are parents to three children, Meredith, Michael, and Eli.
My daughter Meredith graduated from High Point University (NC) majoring in Visual Merchandising Design, after that she went to work for Diane von Furstenberg in New York City. Now she is living in Florence, Italy pursuing her Master’s degree at Polimoda Fashion School.
Michael graduated from Duquesne University (PA) majoring in Music Composition and Technology and he’s completed a Master’s Degree at NYU. Currently, he’s in the midst of completing the Tonmeister certification at NYU.
Our 9-year-old, Eli goes to elementary school and he enjoys playing Fortnite, Basketball, and hanging out with his dog, Georgie! He is still getting over the loss of his best friend Spartacus – a 170 pound Great Dane! (Pictured below)
