Believe it or Not ... the man's a class act.

The St. Cloud Times has a piece today about Johnnies' legendary coach John Gagliardi making it into the ranks of Ripley's Believe it or Not. Dave Deland notes:

The cartoon notes that Gagliardi "has won more games than any other ... coach in college football without using spring training, whistles, compulsory weightlifting or athletic scholarships."

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting this unassuming giant amongst coaches during President Bush's visit to St. Cloud last year. In fact, I was standing right next to him in the risers to the left of the President. My first glimpse of Mr. Gagliardi was that of a diminutive, older man with his head down, his eyes closed, and his forehead propped up by his right hand. It was a rather warm September mid morning, and I had inquired if he was feeling okay. "Oh sure" he replied, in a calm, quiet voice. "I'm just going over the plays for this Saturday's game." He readily, though humbly and graciously signed autographs for myself and my two boys.

The thing that struck me most regarding this man was his total humility. If one would have just seen him on the street, one would think that he's just another old man on the way to the grocers to get a loaf of bread, a carton of milk and a dozen eggs. His demeanor in conversations is just as unassuming. Having worked in education, I have come to know more than my share of athletic coaches. Not to put them down, but humility has not been a common trait among those I have met. They have been classically outgoing, in-your-face (though in a friendly way) personalities, and were usually the center of attention when in a crowd or when walking into a room. John Gagliardi, personality-wise, is the antithesis of what one would think of as a successful, winning coach; yet at nearly 78 years old he continues to be the winningest coach in college football history. Perhaps it is true. The Meek shall inherit the Earth.