Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you want to be treated.

Lou Holtz (b. 1937), the longtime college football coach and later ESPN commentator, frequently distilled his leadership philosophy into short “rules to live by” in speeches, interviews, and motivational writing. This maxim reflects the kind of character-centered coaching message Holtz was known for emphasizing to players—personal integrity (“Do right”), disciplined effort (“Do your best”), and respect for others (the Golden Rule). While widely circulated under his name in quotation collections and on motivational posters, it is typically presented as a standalone aphorism rather than tied to a single, clearly documented occasion or publication.

The quote compresses an ethical program into three escalating commitments: moral choice, sustained effort, and humane reciprocity. “Do right” frames conduct as a matter of principle rather than convenience; “Do your best” shifts attention from outcomes to controllable effort and responsibility; and “Treat others as you want to be treated” anchors leadership in empathy and fairness. Together, the lines suggest that success—whether in sport, work, or public life—rests less on talent than on character and habits. Its simplicity makes it portable as a coaching credo: a checklist for decision-making under pressure.