If you don't make a total commitment to whatever you're doing, then you start looking to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking. It's tough enough getting that boat to shore with everybody rowing, let alone when a guy stands up and starts putting his jacket on.

Holtz uses a vivid teamwork metaphor—everyone in a leaking boat—to argue that success depends on wholehearted commitment. If someone treats a goal as provisional, they will mentally prepare an exit (“bail out”) at the first sign of difficulty, which both weakens their own effort and undermines the group’s morale and coordination. The image of a teammate standing up to put on a jacket suggests distraction, self-preservation, and loss of focus at precisely the moment collective discipline is needed. The quote reflects a coaching philosophy: adversity is inevitable, and the difference-maker is whether individuals stay engaged and row harder rather than looking for excuses to quit.