It’s been nearly a decade since legendary LaVell Edwards passed, but as is the case with legends, death has no sting.
His legacy lives on, and there appears to be no end in sight as to how tales of his life, coaching style and relationships are passed and shared.
The latest book on Edwards,”The Leadership Legacy of LaVell Edwards” by BYU professor of church history and doctrine Mark Ogletree and Deseret News columnist Dave McCann, is packed with an even deeper level of Edwards lore, including stories and anecdotes never shared before.
The compilation of these tales is both entertaining, inspiring and informative as the authors expertly stitch a tapestry of the many influences Edwards left in his wake. The book is laced with how actions by Edwards are connected to leadership, a trove of workable life principles everyone could apply in their personal relationships at work, home and with friends.
Why did Ogletree write this book? He said he remembers being home on December 29, 2016, the day Edwards died.
“As news spread that coach LaVell Edwards had passed away, I sat at my computer and listened to every radio show, every BYU Sports Nation segment and every podcast tribute I could find,” said Ogletree.
“What struck me immediately was the sheer number of former players — now grown men, raising families, serving in the Church and leading in their professions — who spoke about LaVell with such deep love, admiration and gratitude. They weren’t just remembering a coach. They were remembering the man who shaped them.”
Ogletree continued: “Story after story revealed the same pattern: LaVell Edwards was an extraordinary leader whose influence reached far beyond football. His players talked about his humility, his humor, his sincerity and especially his one‑on‑one relationships with them. They described how he molded them into the kind of men they had become. Listening to those tributes, I felt a strong, almost immediate impression: A leadership book about LaVell Edwards needs to be written."
An experienced author and lecturer, Ogletree kept an Edwards book in the back of his mind, knowing it would be a “herculean project.” He had a colleague who could help, but schedules conflicted.
“A few years later, I became close friends with Dave McCann through our Church service. Dave repeatedly told me we needed to write a book together. For some reason, it didn’t click at first, but as we approached the 10‑year anniversary of LaVell’s passing —2026 — I realized the timing was perfect, and suddenly it hit me: ‘Dave McCann probably has every BYU football player ever on speed dial.’
“We met for lunch, sketched an outline, created an interview plan and got to work. We interviewed Ron McBride in his home. We met with Robbie Bosco, Kalani Sitake, Chad Lewis and Tom Holmoe on campus. We spoke with many others over Zoom. The stories poured in — funny stories, sacred stories, leadership stories — and the book finally began to take shape, but the deeper reason I wrote this book goes beyond the anniversary or the interviews. I wanted to preserve LaVell Edwards’ legacy.”
Wrote Ogletree in an email on Friday: “In a world that is increasingly hungry for authentic leadership models — in our communities, in our professions, and even in our Church — LaVell Edwards stands as one of the finest examples we have.”
Even today, Sitake regularly tells local and national media how he’s trying to coach the LaVell Edwards way, primarily because he remembers how Edwards made him feel as both a player and growing man.
In Edwards’ final days, his oldest son John shared one of his last discussions with his famous father.
“I also had a quiet moment with him, just the two of us. I told him how grateful I was for the name he’d given me. He said he was grateful for the name his own father had given him. We both felt proud to be the sons of good men. That was deeply touching,” said John in an interview with the authors.
Writes Ogletree, whose son Brandon played linebacker at BYU, “Life, at its core, is about connection. We can scale mountains, build empires, and chase every ambition, but if, in the process, we lose the people who matter most, we arrive at the summit alone, giving new meaning to the expression, ‘It’s lonely at the top.’
“The true richness of life is found not in achievement but in the quiet moments of love, loyalty and belonging. Family is where meaning is born, and to love deeply is not just part of life; it is the essence of it.”
The book explores Edwards’ unique gift of intuition, sometimes knowing more about what a player can do than the player himself.
Former NFL All-Pro punt returner Vai Sikahema tells the story of when he wanted to quit BYU football and get on with his life. He discussed it with Edwards, who told him to stick it out that fall. He could learn the fullback position and rotate in with fullback Lakei Heimuli and halfback Kelly Smith, although those two would remain the starters.
But, it didn’t turn out that way.
Sikahema revisited his situation in the spring with Edwards, who revealed some remarkable observations. The coach said Sikahema’s skills would be coveted in the NFL. As a punt returner, he could impact NFL games far batter than in college. The starting field position is so important in the NFL that even five yards makes a huge difference. Edwards said NFL scouts would hunt Sikahema down for his services.
Sikahema was doubtful. If he wasn’t good enough to start on Saturdays, how could he play on Sundays in the big league?
Edwards also told Sikahema he had fresh legs, that the grind of playing every game, all game long in his career hadn’t taken a toll on him and that meant something.
“LaVell’s feelings about Vai were spot on,” write Ogletree and McCann.
Sikahema was drafted in the 10th round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986, the first Tongan to ever play in the NFL. His career included stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. He returned 527 punts and kickoffs combined for 8,102 yards and was all pro in 1986 and 1987.
His notoriety as a professional football player led to being hired as a TV sports anchor in Philadelphia, which changed the direction of his professional life.
“That was one of LaVell’s gifts; not just seeing what people were, but what they could become,” concluded the authors.
The chapter “Constancy Amid Change” highlights Edwards’ remarkable ability to remain constant in his approach and demeanor through challenges and tough times. His home life mirrored his coaching: Quiet, predictable and faithful. Married 65 years to his wife Patti, “win or lose he came home the same man.”
Former BYU and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Chris Hoke said as an Edwards watcher, he understands the importance of being steady now that he has five kids, ages 24 down to 14.
“There’re a lot of storms in a college football season and he stayed steady,” Hoke said. “He stayed the course. He didn’t overreact, and I think as a father you’ve got to do the same thing.
“Throughout a child’s life, throughout mortality, there are a lot of storms you have to navigate, and you’ve got to remain constant, remain steady.”
Hoke lost his wife Jaimee in 2025 at the age of 45 after a battle with cancer and it rocked his world. Over the years he found he’s only effective when he’s consistent with who he is, and when he tries to be somebody else, it doesn’t work.
In mourning his wife, Hoke found strength in Edwards’ example of remaining consistent for his children after losing their mother and consistent in how he dealt with this storm, to be anchored, to be strong.
What did Ogletree learn about Edwards that he didn’t know before the project?
“This is a surprisingly difficult question, because before beginning this project I felt I already knew LaVell Edwards quite well,” he said. “I had studied his life, read every book written about him and followed his career closely. From an academic standpoint, I thought I had a solid grasp of who he was, but as Dave McCann and I began interviewing players, coaches and friends, I realized there were dimensions of LaVell’s life and leadership that I had never fully appreciated.
“I knew LaVell valued one‑on‑one relationships with his players, but I did not understand how deep and far‑reaching those relationships were. Former players told us how he kept in touch with them for years —sometimes decades — after they left BYU. I learned that when he flew to Detroit to interview for the Lions’ head coaching job in 1985, he made a detour to Wisconsin just so he could visit his former player Jim Herrmann. That was LaVell, always thinking about his players, always checking in, always showing up.
Ogletree continued, “I also gained a much clearer understanding of LaVell’s role as a spiritual leader. Robbie Bosco and Gifford Nielsen both spoke tenderly about receiving priesthood blessings from their coach, blessings that shaped their lives. Gifford told us how LaVell laid his hands on his head and promised his injured knee would be fine. Gifford went on to play six seasons for the Houston Oilers without a single issue with that knee. Robbie shared that after the Pitt game in 1984, LaVell gave him a blessing in which he told Robbie that football was not his highest priority in life, that he had other, more important things ahead of him. Robbie wasn’t even a member of the Church at the time. Today, he and his wife serve as mission leaders in Ohio. LaVell saw something in Robbie long before Robbie saw it in himself.
“But if I had to choose the single thing that surprised me most, it was discovering just how big LaVell Edwards was outside of Utah. Player after player told us that wherever they traveled — across the country or even internationally — the first question people asked was, “How is coach Edwards?” Robbie Bosco put it bluntly:’I don’t think the people of Utah appreciate how big Coach Edwards is everywhere else. He’s a big deal.’
And yet, despite being a national figure, LaVell remained profoundly humble. He never took himself too seriously. He never acted like a celebrity. In his own mind, he was just a common man who loved coaching football and loved the young men he worked with.
Concluded Ogletree: “Sometimes when you study a person’s life in depth, the more you learn, the more disappointed you become. With LaVell Edwards, the opposite happened. The more I learned, the more impressed I became. He was a giant of a man —spiritually, emotionally and professionally — and this project only deepened my admiration for him.”
There’s a good-sized shelf of books on Edwards and his program from over the years. I know of another one coming out soon by a former player, but this one is a good one. It captures the legend exactly how he should be remembered.
(“The Leadership Legacy of LaVell Edwards,” by Mark Ogletree, Phd, and Dave McCann, Cedar Fort, Inc., 290 pages.)