Coach Robichaux Built the Brand of Baseball
Tony Robichaux, the beloved head coach of the University of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team, passed away suddenly at the age of 57. Although he had been head coach for the past 25 years (winningest coach in the university’s history), he always said, “Being a baseball coach is what I do, it’s not who I am.” That’s just one of the many, “Robeisms” that he is known for using to teach life lessons that go beyond just the game.
As a fan of baseball, and a huge fan of Coach Robe, I wanted to share some of his Robeisms. Sharing his message is the best way I can think of to memorialize what he meant to me and thousands of other fans.
“Take your test and make it a testament. Take your mess and make it a message.”
“90% of problems in your personal life are self-inflicted.”
“Nowhere in the Bible does it say how to become a good baseball player. But it’s pretty clear what kind of man you should become.”
“Ego stands for Edging God Out.”
“Nothing is ever good or bad. It’s how you respond that makes it good or bad.”
“God doesn’t want you to be perfect. He wants you to make progress.”
“Kids are like a kite – the greater the turbulence the higher it flies. Without turbulence, it won’t fly.”
“You’re going to give your last name to a child one day – protect it, don’t beat it up.”
“Learn to use your sport, don’t let the sport use you.”
“No matter what you’re drowning in, our lifeguard walked on water.”
“Tiger Woods’ golf game didn’t get him in trouble.”
“Too many people sit down when it’s time to stand up.”
“A journey towards something is actually a journey away from something. You can’t steal 2nd with your foot still on 1st.”
“You can’t sharpen a knife with Kleenex.”
“W is for winning and L is for learning.”
“We are all born with a good wolf and a bad wolf. You can’t ever kill it, but you can starve it. Keep feeding the good wolf.”
and my personal favorite,
“Work while you wait.”
Thousands of friends, family, and former players are mourning the loss of a great man but we are comforted by the knowledge that he taught us great life lessons and left the world a better place than he found it. As long as we continue to practice what he preached, then he lives on in all of us.
