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Against the Grain: A Coach's Wisdom on Character, Faith, Family, and Love
Bill Courtney is a familiar name to those who saw him in Undefeated, the Oscar-winning movie about the high school football team he coached in a downtrodden section of North Memphis. Now, in his first book, Against the Grain Courtney describes the key principles— including service, civility, leadership, character, commitment, and forgiveness—that have helped young people and adults to live better and more fulfilled lives.
Courtney has also passed along these values to his 120 employees at the lumber company he built from scratch. A former drug addict became a line manager and loving family man; an out-of-control cornerback is now a cadet at West Point; a star running back has discovered he can show his emotions and still be strong. Courtney, Esquire magazine’s Coach of the Year in 2012, shares these and other compelling stories to illustrate how readers can enrich themselves their families, their businesses, and their communities.
Courtney goes against the grain of today’s mefirst culture, while explaining why these time-tested principles are needed now more than ever. He shows that winning isn’t just about the score at the end of the game, or the profit margin. Ultimately, it’s about the impact you make on your fellow human beings and the legacy you leave behind.
Courtney has also passed along these values to his 120 employees at the lumber company he built from scratch. A former drug addict became a line manager and loving family man; an out-of-control cornerback is now a cadet at West Point; a star running back has discovered he can show his emotions and still be strong. Courtney, Esquire magazine’s Coach of the Year in 2012, shares these and other compelling stories to illustrate how readers can enrich themselves their families, their businesses, and their communities.
Courtney goes against the grain of today’s mefirst culture, while explaining why these time-tested principles are needed now more than ever. He shows that winning isn’t just about the score at the end of the game, or the profit margin. Ultimately, it’s about the impact you make on your fellow human beings and the legacy you leave behind.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published May 13, 2014
11 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Bill Courtney
2 books8 followersWilliam B Courtney (Bill), a native Memphian, founded Classic American Hardwoods, Inc. in 2001. Today, it employs 120 people with a 45 acre manufacturing facility and domestic sales offices in Memphis, TN and international sales offices in Shanghai, China and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In 2007, Classic American Hardwoods, Inc. won the Memphis Business Journal's Small Business of the Year Award based on its growth and commitment to community service.
In 2003, Bill began volunteering at Memphis' inner city Manassas High School in an effort to turn its underperforming football team around. In 2003, the team had 19 players with a dismal 4-95, 10-year record. In the 2008 & 2009 seasons, the team's record improved to 18-2, with 75 players. The story was so compelling that a Hollywood film--Undefeated--was produced about it that won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Feature Length Documentary.
In 2011, Bill was inducted into Bridge Builders for leadership in diversity, community, and justice. He was the 2012 recipient of the Liberty Bowl's Harry Zinn Spirit of 1776 award for distinguished citizenship, recipient of the Carnival Memphis' King's award for outstanding achievement in Business and Industry, and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of fame Memphis chapter's award winner for The distinguished American for Contribution to Amateur Athletics. In 2013, he was inducted into the prestigious Society of Entrepreneurs as a result of his success in business and community service.
Today, Bill still operates as the President and CEO of Classic American Hardwoods. He’s a public speaker at a variety of venues from the Para Olympics in Colorado Springs to Nike, PepsiCo, FedEx, and other nationally recognized companies to churches, schools, and hospitals, and has written his first book Against the Grain to be released in May of 2014. Courtney lives with his wife and four children in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 2003, Bill began volunteering at Memphis' inner city Manassas High School in an effort to turn its underperforming football team around. In 2003, the team had 19 players with a dismal 4-95, 10-year record. In the 2008 & 2009 seasons, the team's record improved to 18-2, with 75 players. The story was so compelling that a Hollywood film--Undefeated--was produced about it that won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Feature Length Documentary.
In 2011, Bill was inducted into Bridge Builders for leadership in diversity, community, and justice. He was the 2012 recipient of the Liberty Bowl's Harry Zinn Spirit of 1776 award for distinguished citizenship, recipient of the Carnival Memphis' King's award for outstanding achievement in Business and Industry, and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of fame Memphis chapter's award winner for The distinguished American for Contribution to Amateur Athletics. In 2013, he was inducted into the prestigious Society of Entrepreneurs as a result of his success in business and community service.
Today, Bill still operates as the President and CEO of Classic American Hardwoods. He’s a public speaker at a variety of venues from the Para Olympics in Colorado Springs to Nike, PepsiCo, FedEx, and other nationally recognized companies to churches, schools, and hospitals, and has written his first book Against the Grain to be released in May of 2014. Courtney lives with his wife and four children in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 4, 2024
Against the Grain by Bill Courtney is a very straightforward read. Courtney, an entrepreneur and high school football coach, has countless leadership principles to share with his readers. He shares them through the retelling of his personal experiences and he does so multiple times each chapter.
This received a 4/5 stars because of how the book flowed. Some of the connections he made from his experiences to the leadership principles he was outlining were a stretch. But overall, Courtney is a great leader and man. As a fellow Sigma Nu, I greatly respect all of his accomplishments. I received this book from a leadership conference for Sigma Nu in which he spoke at, and I hope to hear him speak again!
This received a 4/5 stars because of how the book flowed. Some of the connections he made from his experiences to the leadership principles he was outlining were a stretch. But overall, Courtney is a great leader and man. As a fellow Sigma Nu, I greatly respect all of his accomplishments. I received this book from a leadership conference for Sigma Nu in which he spoke at, and I hope to hear him speak again!
March 5, 2014
Against the Grain by Bill Courtney is not at all what you first expect when you see the cover. When I first heard about and saw the book I thought, "Oh, it's a football book. I don't get football." That thought could not have been further from the truth.
Against the Grain is a tale of perseverance, hard work, faith in humanity, faith in yourself, leadership, business, and giving it your all, every single day. As I worked my way through the 14 chapters--Bill's 14 tenants on living a successful life--I found the writing, the stories, and the format resonating with me on a personal level.
--The story of the woman who sat outside of the Martin Luther King Jr museum for years in protest of something she believed in strongly;
--The heartbreaking and yet uplifting tale of the football player who paralyzed an opposing player during a game-changing both of their lives forever;
--And the story of sacrifice represented by Bill's business partner in his lumber company.
These were just a few of the real-life examples Bill provides that hit you where it hurts and get you thinking, "I could do more. I could do better." This is not a book that you can walk away from unchanged. Whether you're a sports enthusiast, or you can barely stand sports, it doesn't matter. Bill Courtney's Against the Grain: A Coach's Wisdom on Character, Faith, Family, and Love is about life, success, failure, and universal truths we can all understand and relate to.
Against the Grain is a tale of perseverance, hard work, faith in humanity, faith in yourself, leadership, business, and giving it your all, every single day. As I worked my way through the 14 chapters--Bill's 14 tenants on living a successful life--I found the writing, the stories, and the format resonating with me on a personal level.
--The story of the woman who sat outside of the Martin Luther King Jr museum for years in protest of something she believed in strongly;
--The heartbreaking and yet uplifting tale of the football player who paralyzed an opposing player during a game-changing both of their lives forever;
--And the story of sacrifice represented by Bill's business partner in his lumber company.
These were just a few of the real-life examples Bill provides that hit you where it hurts and get you thinking, "I could do more. I could do better." This is not a book that you can walk away from unchanged. Whether you're a sports enthusiast, or you can barely stand sports, it doesn't matter. Bill Courtney's Against the Grain: A Coach's Wisdom on Character, Faith, Family, and Love is about life, success, failure, and universal truths we can all understand and relate to.
April 28, 2015
Great motivational book that has a great message.
February 24, 2023
This book is different than the, seemingly, million inspirational/self help books that are available. It's a lot better, too. The author started, and runs, a successful lumber yard. He was also a volunteer football coach at a minority high school, both in Memphis, Tennessee.
The author looks at concepts of character, like service, leadership and commitment. He uses examples from his own life, and those of his players. These anecdotes show how to use these concepts in daily life. He doesn't forget about winning football games. Many of these young men may be lacking a mentor, or father figure, so he also attempts to prepare them for life after football. The author, and his team, are also subjects of an Oscar-winning documentary called "Undefeated."
This book is very easy to read, and understand. It doesn't quote academics around the world, or provide Rules to Follow. It is one person's look at success, teamwork and discipline. It is very much worth reading, for everyone.
The author looks at concepts of character, like service, leadership and commitment. He uses examples from his own life, and those of his players. These anecdotes show how to use these concepts in daily life. He doesn't forget about winning football games. Many of these young men may be lacking a mentor, or father figure, so he also attempts to prepare them for life after football. The author, and his team, are also subjects of an Oscar-winning documentary called "Undefeated."
This book is very easy to read, and understand. It doesn't quote academics around the world, or provide Rules to Follow. It is one person's look at success, teamwork and discipline. It is very much worth reading, for everyone.
May 4, 2018
"Against the Grain" by Bill Courtney, was a fantastic book. He did a great job describing us how he goes through many hardships and obstacles through his book. Also, he sacrificed multiple hours for his kids to help out inner city kids and try to be financially stable. You should watch the movie about his volunteer coaching jo at Manassas in 2009, it is called, "Undefeated." The last chapter ended it well with legacy and that when you die; People should remember you as a person with great character. The final sentences in the book were, "Making the right choice, which can mean taking some difficult steps to abide by the principles that truly matter, will lead you on a path to a legacy you and those close to you will cherish. Even if you have to go against the grain."
November 5, 2018
Pretty let down with this book..
The reason for 2 stars is because I believe the current average rating of 4.26 stars is unwarranted and my 2 star review is meant to offset that disparity. Pretty self-inflating view of my own viewpoint, but I have read a fair amount of material on leadership. And comparing this book to others, "Against the Grain" was a personal let down.
In actuality, this book had hidden gems of insightfulness written in practical language using first hand anecdotes. Of course, that might be valued by other readers, but this is my review and this is how I am concluded it!
The reason for 2 stars is because I believe the current average rating of 4.26 stars is unwarranted and my 2 star review is meant to offset that disparity. Pretty self-inflating view of my own viewpoint, but I have read a fair amount of material on leadership. And comparing this book to others, "Against the Grain" was a personal let down.
In actuality, this book had hidden gems of insightfulness written in practical language using first hand anecdotes. Of course, that might be valued by other readers, but this is my review and this is how I am concluded it!
March 18, 2024
great collection of stories and observations about his players, his employees, and many celebrities he has met. The book is well formed, with chapters addressing key concepts of personal development and strength. Bill does a great job of keeping his own politics and religion in check without denying either. He is clear eyed in identifying where he has a real opinion, and where his bias may be off site, and where his own assumptions need to be checked. I enjoyed it, and think he is a great individual and deserves more recognition.
October 28, 2023
The author has a really interesting story that he speaks to throughout the book, but it’s jumbled enough to be a bit confusing. Setting that aside, this is kind of a series of essays about the topics of character, faith, family, etc. The anecdotes carry the book.
May 17, 2014
Rating:
4 1/2 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review:
Bill Courtney gained fame and recognition as the assistant coach in the Oscar-winning documentary “Undefeated” about a Memphis high school football team that became a winning program through hard work, faith and the teachings of a volunteer part-time coach. That coach was Courtney who also turned an abandoned piece of property into a thriving business. These successes helped Courtney decide to write this book in order to “coach” even more people on his vies of character, faith and family.
In the book, Courtney shares his values and reasons for his success in small doses. He shares many stories about his players at Manassas, his employees, his family and himself on many topics that other books of this nature will cover: hard work, keeping one’s word, service to others, dreams, responsibility and other similar topics. While reading the book, the reader will be caught up in the moment and feel the joy of success or the occasional heartbreak of failure as Courtney’s subject will either learn a valuable lesson or at times even make Courtney stop and think that maybe he could learn from the player or employee.
My favorite story in the book is an example of Courtney pausing for a moment and thinking about these values he is trying to teach his players. I believe that makes the message that he is trying to deliver even more powerful, as it shows we all have room for growth in these areas.
In the chapter about service, Courtney was having trouble connecting with his players and speaks privately to one of the seniors on the team, asking what he needs to do in order to get the team to listen to him. The player simply said to keep doing what he was doing. Pressing for details, the player eventually told the coach that the team was trying to figure out if he was a “turkey person.” The player went on to explain that he and his teammates would often see
“folks who look just like you” drop off turkeys and other gifts and then leave, never to be seen again. Courtney’s players were trying to figure out if he was a turkey person, according to this player. It made Courtney reassess how he was coming across to his team and as a result, the team responded by playing some of its best football.
Stories like that make this book a terrific read for anyone looking for a little positive news, for some uplifting and helpful advice or just some nice stories on football and life. The four and a half star rating I gave the book is rounded to five for Amazon and Goodreads that do not have half-stars for their ratings.
I wish to thank the publisher for providing an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
Because the stories are fairly short, consistent throughout the book and are varied in topic, the reader will fly through the book. While I didn’t read it at one sitting due to other commitments, the total time to read all 206 pages was not very long at all.
Book Format Read:
Paperback
4 1/2 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review:
Bill Courtney gained fame and recognition as the assistant coach in the Oscar-winning documentary “Undefeated” about a Memphis high school football team that became a winning program through hard work, faith and the teachings of a volunteer part-time coach. That coach was Courtney who also turned an abandoned piece of property into a thriving business. These successes helped Courtney decide to write this book in order to “coach” even more people on his vies of character, faith and family.
In the book, Courtney shares his values and reasons for his success in small doses. He shares many stories about his players at Manassas, his employees, his family and himself on many topics that other books of this nature will cover: hard work, keeping one’s word, service to others, dreams, responsibility and other similar topics. While reading the book, the reader will be caught up in the moment and feel the joy of success or the occasional heartbreak of failure as Courtney’s subject will either learn a valuable lesson or at times even make Courtney stop and think that maybe he could learn from the player or employee.
My favorite story in the book is an example of Courtney pausing for a moment and thinking about these values he is trying to teach his players. I believe that makes the message that he is trying to deliver even more powerful, as it shows we all have room for growth in these areas.
In the chapter about service, Courtney was having trouble connecting with his players and speaks privately to one of the seniors on the team, asking what he needs to do in order to get the team to listen to him. The player simply said to keep doing what he was doing. Pressing for details, the player eventually told the coach that the team was trying to figure out if he was a “turkey person.” The player went on to explain that he and his teammates would often see
“folks who look just like you” drop off turkeys and other gifts and then leave, never to be seen again. Courtney’s players were trying to figure out if he was a turkey person, according to this player. It made Courtney reassess how he was coming across to his team and as a result, the team responded by playing some of its best football.
Stories like that make this book a terrific read for anyone looking for a little positive news, for some uplifting and helpful advice or just some nice stories on football and life. The four and a half star rating I gave the book is rounded to five for Amazon and Goodreads that do not have half-stars for their ratings.
I wish to thank the publisher for providing an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
Because the stories are fairly short, consistent throughout the book and are varied in topic, the reader will fly through the book. While I didn’t read it at one sitting due to other commitments, the total time to read all 206 pages was not very long at all.
Book Format Read:
Paperback
May 14, 2014
I was one of the students at Rosemark Academy during Coach Courtney's time there. I count him among the greatest teachers I had at any level of education, elementary through doctoral. He was the man who taught me as an eighth grader how to read a novel, what the "elbow" is on a basketball court, why a "knight on the rim is grim", and gave me a base for developing leadership.
One of the things I really enjoyed while reading Against the Grain was seeing how Billy's thoughts on leadership have coalesced since I knew him in his 20's. Even then as a fresh college grad his focus was on character. Many of the principles he presents resonate with what I'm learning about leadership: the fundamental importance of serving those you lead, the power of grace, the importance of understanding responsibility versus duty.
What gratifies me most about seeing the differences between Coach Courtney at age 22 and Mr. Courtney in his 40s now is this: he developed. It's not that he's a better person now than he was then; it's that he's more effective. He has reflected on his principles and values, he's focused his choices based on those reflections, and he's become more effective at everything he does now. His articulations of those lessons in Against the Grain are his gift to us.
Many of us have heroes from our childhood, and Coach is one of mine. That said, I don't want to be like Billy. His life, as far as I can tell, has always been a ridiculous hurricane of activity and risk that I have no appetite for. I do, however, want to develop like him. I want to take advantage of the privileges I have, the knowledge I've gained, the grace I've been afforded, and the values I've developed. I want to use them to raise my own four children to become Christ followers, to make life a little better for the men and women who work with me, to be a worthy husband, and to fulfill better all of those responsibilities tomorrow than I do today.
One of the things I really enjoyed while reading Against the Grain was seeing how Billy's thoughts on leadership have coalesced since I knew him in his 20's. Even then as a fresh college grad his focus was on character. Many of the principles he presents resonate with what I'm learning about leadership: the fundamental importance of serving those you lead, the power of grace, the importance of understanding responsibility versus duty.
What gratifies me most about seeing the differences between Coach Courtney at age 22 and Mr. Courtney in his 40s now is this: he developed. It's not that he's a better person now than he was then; it's that he's more effective. He has reflected on his principles and values, he's focused his choices based on those reflections, and he's become more effective at everything he does now. His articulations of those lessons in Against the Grain are his gift to us.
Many of us have heroes from our childhood, and Coach is one of mine. That said, I don't want to be like Billy. His life, as far as I can tell, has always been a ridiculous hurricane of activity and risk that I have no appetite for. I do, however, want to develop like him. I want to take advantage of the privileges I have, the knowledge I've gained, the grace I've been afforded, and the values I've developed. I want to use them to raise my own four children to become Christ followers, to make life a little better for the men and women who work with me, to be a worthy husband, and to fulfill better all of those responsibilities tomorrow than I do today.
July 7, 2014
I got about 2/3 through the book and then had the opportunity to watch the documentary. What was interesting to me is how although both were good, they didn't quite match. For example, in the book he indicated he didn't tolerate the use of the "N" word on his team. Yet in the documentary, the word is used and tolerated.
The messages, in both the book and the documentary were good - but nothing you probably haven't read somewhere else. But, I guess that is part of his point. Building a team or living a life to be proud of isn't complicated - but takes dedication and character.
In the end, good messages in the book but it just didn't resonate with me as much as others have.
The messages, in both the book and the documentary were good - but nothing you probably haven't read somewhere else. But, I guess that is part of his point. Building a team or living a life to be proud of isn't complicated - but takes dedication and character.
In the end, good messages in the book but it just didn't resonate with me as much as others have.
July 23, 2016
I won this book in the goodreads giveaway. I had previously seen the documentary, Undefeated, and I was glad to see Coach Courtney had written a book. I was thrilled when I won a free copy. The information in this book is material we all know, but Coach Courtney provides his own personal interpretation. The book is truly inspirational and I feel it should be mandatory reading in our Middle Schools, High Schools, and Universities. This would be a great gift to give to anyone. Read it with an open mind. You are sure to glean something from it.
June 24, 2014
This book is a guide to a solid foundation to understanding what we have personally lost in this country and what is necessary to gain it back. It challenges us to servant leadership in everyday life based on a foundation of faith and examples of others. This book was a Goodreads giveaway and I want to say thanks for your story. I will certainly pass it on to others.
May 14, 2015
I loved this book and this story! It is a great read and a true story.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews