From Working Leadership Online on Goal Setting and Time Span

Howard Schnellenberger is doing the most important work of his life as a football coach at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton Florida. His earlier achievements are impressive.

Schnellenberger served as offensive coordinator under his college coach Bear Bryant at Alabama, helping Alabama to win three national championships in 1961, 1964 and 1965 before leaving in 1966 to take a job in the NFL as offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams under George Allen, then being hired by Don Shula in 1970 to become the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and parlaying the success of Miami’s 1972 perfect season into becoming the new head coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1973. -Wikipedia

So, what is he doing now, some thirty five years later, coaching at a small university in Florida?

What are his goals?

On the face of it, the job of a football coach is to win games, one at a time, throughout the season, hoping to post a winning record. Noble goals.

Then why did Schnellenberger schedule to play the University of Texas Longhorns for the 2008 season opener? “Those boys are big!” stated an FAU player after the 52-10 sacking.

Schnellenberger has some long term goals, and he may have to lose some games (short term goals) along the way. But his FAU Owls got to play the University of Texas on television. The loss was a game, but the game attracted attention to the football program (long term goal). Schnellenberger demonstrated to talented high school players that if they come to FAU, he will challenge them to play against the best.

Time Span. I am always looking for the longest Time Span goals, for they define the role.