John Wooden

John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as head coach for the UCLA Bruins, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than four in a row in Division I college men's or women's basketball. Within this period, his teams won an NCAA men's basketball record 88 consecutive games. Wooden won the prestigious Henry Iba Award as national coach of the year a record seven times and won the Associated Press award five times.

John Wooden
Wooden circa 1972
Biographical details
Born(1910-10-14)October 14, 1910
Hall, Indiana, U.S.
DiedJune 4, 2010(2010-06-04) (aged 99)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Playing career
Basketball
1929–1932Purdue
1932–1937Indianapolis Kautskys
1937–1938Whiting / Hammond Ciesar All-Americans
1938–1939Indianapolis Kautskys
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1933–1935Dayton HS
1935–1944South Bend Central HS
1946–1948Indiana State
1948–1975UCLA
Baseball
1948Indiana State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1946–1948Indiana State
Head coaching record
Overall664–162 (college basketball)
7–7 (college baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As player:
  • Helms and Premo-Porretta National championships (1932)

As head coach:

  • 10× NCAA Champion (1964, 1965, 19671973, 1975)
  • 12× NCAA Regional – Final Four (1962, 1964, 1965, 1967–1975)
  • 15× Pac-12 champion (1950, 1952, 1956, 1962–1965, 1967–1975)
  • 3× PCC tournament champion (1953–1955)
Awards
Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1960 (as a player) 1973 (as a coach)
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006
Military career
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUS Navy
Years of service1942–1946
RankLieutenant
Battles/warsWorld War II

As a 5-foot-10-inch (1.78 m) guard with the Purdue Boilermakers, Wooden was the first college basketball player to be named an All-American three times, and the 1932 Purdue team on which he played as a senior was retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA tournament national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. He played professionally in the National Basketball League (NBL). Wooden was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1960) and as a coach (1973), the first person ever enshrined in both categories.

One of the most revered coaches in the history of sports, Wooden was beloved by his former players, among them Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton. Wooden was renowned for his short, simple inspirational messages to his players (including his "Pyramid of Success") many of which were directed at how to be a success in life as well as in basketball. Wooden's 29-year coaching career and overwhelming critical acclaim for his leadership have created a legacy not only in sports but also extending to business, personal success, and organizational leadership.

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