John Wooden

Basketball Legend
John Wooden was a Beta and he had many basketball accomplishments. His numbers and accomplishments eclipse anything going on today (in any sport) and really anything that has gone on since his retirement.
*Wooden was born in 1910 in Indiana.
*In high school he played basketball for Martinsville and lead them to the state championship game three years in a row, winning it all in 1927. He was an all-star three times during his high school career.
*He went on to Purdue where he was a three-time All American and was a member of the 1932 national championship team.
*He went on to play professionally and was awesome. At one point in his career he had a stretch of 134 consecutive free throws. You know how when Kobe goes 7 for 8, or when AI goes 10 for 10, or when Shaq goes 3 for 86 and it’s considered a good night? Yeah, well Wooden was 134 for 134.
*His first venture into coaching came with Dayton High School in Kentucky. His first year at the high school would be the only time he would have a losing record (6-11) ever. Keep in mind this was in the late 30’s/early 40’s. He didn’t retire from coaching until 1975. The only pause in his coaching career came when he joined the army during WW2.
*After a 218-42 record as a high school coach and after serving in the army, Wooden took the job coaching Indiana State’s basketball team. As would come to be the norm for a Wooden team, Indiana State was good. Really good. In 1947 his team won the conference and received an invitation for the national tournament. He refused to go because the tournament banned black players. A year later the ban was removed and Wooden’s team went on to play in the tournament final.
*Wooden’s tenure at Indiana State lasted only 2 years, after which he left for UCLA and never looked back. The following numbers from his UCLA coaching days are all correct – no typos, no mistakes. He was just that good.
*In 27 seasons, Wooden’s teams won 665 games. He won 10 NCAA titles, 7 of which were in a row. The following were championship years for John Wooden: 1964, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, and 75. He had a record winning streak of 88 games. He had four perfect (30-0) seasons. He won 38 straight games in NCAA tournaments.
*He retired in 1975 after his final championship victory.
*Strangely enough, UCLA was Wooden’s second choice. He was originally set on the University of Minnesota, but due to bad weather (it was 1948, phone reception was iffy) he didn’t receive their phone call and assumed they had lost interest. He signed with UCLA.
*Wooden’s 10 titles eclipse anything that has been put forth since. The next best by a coach is 4 (even “legends” like Bob Knight and Coach K have only 3 apiece). The next best by a school is 7 (by Kentucky in 50 seasons. Wooden got 3 more in about half the time).
*Wooden’s 4 undefeated seasons are also unmatched. No one else has more than one.
*His awards and recognitions are almost too many to count. For the sake of time and space, here are a few. He was elected to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960 as a player, and in 1972 as a coach. He was elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 as part of their founding class. He was the NCAA Basketball coach of the year 6 times.
So there you have it. John Wooden is the most dominant figure in college basketball, bar none. His success as both a player and a coach may never be equaled, and will surely go down as a defining era in college hoops, if not sports as a whole. However, Wooden was about much more than just winning. Aside from turning his recruits into better players, he turned them into better men. He led with honor and humility and looked out for not only his players’ talent, but their character as well. He was a coach in every sense of the word. And with that, I’ll leave you with John Wooden’s Seven Point Creed:

*Be true to yourself.
*Make each day your masterpiece.
*Help others.
*Drink deeply from good books, especially The Bible.
*Make friendship a fine art.
*Build a shelter against a rainy day.
*Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.