A slew of sports-themed books are hitting shelves this week, including three by IMG clients – NFL Giants coach Tom Coughlin, ESPN's Bob Knight and ESPN's Jay Bilas – being released today. IMG Senior Corporate VP & Managing Dir of Clients Sandy Montag negotiated each of the book deals and said that the "timing of the releases is tied to the opportunity to promote the books in media publicity" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/4 issue).
Coughlin's book is “Earn The Right To Win," published by Portfolio/Penguin. Several revelations in the book offer a "pretty clear indication Coughlin, at 66 the oldest head coach in the NFL, is not on any sort of retirement track now or in the near future" (N.Y. POST, 3/5). Coughlin appeared on NBC's "Today" this morning (THE DAILY).
Knight's work, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is titled, "The Power of Negative Thinking: An Unconventional Approach to Achieving Positive Results." In it, Knight "argues that the irrationally upbeat live life at their own peril, and set themselves up for a Custer-style butt kicking" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/5).
Bilas recently discussed his New American Library release, "Toughness: Developing True Strength on and off the Court." Bilas: "I think it's far more difficult for teams and coaches to deal with pressure points than in the past. Twenty-five years ago, there were no cellphones or the Internet. ... With all criticism being immediate now, it's important to have a thick skin" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 3/3).
Also out this week are Univ. of Tennessee women's basketball Coach Emeritus Pat Summitt's memoir, "Sum It Up," co-written by Sally Jenkins, and Baseball HOFer Cal Ripken Jr.'s latest children's novel, "Wild Pitch."
Details in "Sum It Up" include her "upbringing in rural Tennessee, her rivalry with Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, her family life and the circumstances of her retirement" (AP, 3/4). Summitt appeared on ABC's "GMA" this morning (THE DAILY).
"Wild Pitch" came out yesterday via Hyperion and was co-written by the Baltimore Sun's Kevin Cowherd. Ripken this week embarked on a "book-signing tour that will include stops in a number of spring training spots" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 3/4).
