Coach John Wooden's True Legacy

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright June 6, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                

             Succumbing to old age June 4 at age 99 in UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center, retired UCLA Coach John Wooden etched himself into the top of Basketball’s Mt. Everest —indeed life—winning 10 NCAA championships between 1964-1975, the year he abruptly retired.   Born Oct. 14, 1910 on his family farm in Hall, Indiana, Wooden himself won All American basketball honors at Purdue University, leading the Boilermakers to a national championship in 1932, before the NCAA.  He was inducted into Basketball’s Hall of Fame as a player in 1961 and as a coach in 1971.  Wooden’s streak of winning seven back-to-back national titles and 88 consecutive games remain impossible feats.  While called the “Wizard of Westwood” for his unparalleled success at UCLA, Wooden preferred simply to be known as “coach,” consistent with his true characters and legacy.

            Wooden never forgot his humble Midwestern roots, somewhat akin to the late President Ronald Reagan, whose personal philosophy left an indelible mark on the American character.  Like Reagan, Wooden came from modest means, whose Protestant work ethic ran through his on-and-off-court accomplishments.  “If there’s anything you could point out where I was a little different, it was the fact that I never mentioned winning,” Wooden once said, deeply committed to the process of working hard on  fundamentals.  Wooden evolved since the 1930s a coaching style he called the “Pyramid of Success,” 15 attributes that lead of "competitive greatness."  He developed his “Pyramid of Success” course, creating the first coherent sports and life-coaching system, extending his principles that worked on the basketball court to various real-life social and business situations.

            Wooden was known to be among the first white coaches to insist on playing black basketball players.  His rock-sold belief in hard work obliterated the color barrier, opening doors for any player willing to go through Wooden’s boot camp, the most rigorous and demanding workouts for developing the physical, mental and spiritual skills needed for success.  One of Wooden’s former players, Greg Lee, a three-year starter during the 88-game winning streak, shared about “coach’s demanding practices and workouts,” exceeding those of most games.  “That was one of the secrets to our success,” revealing the hard work that went into Wooden’s crucible.  “For a little more than a decade, we had the best basketball players, the hardest practices and a phenomenal coach, and were tough to beat,” said Lee, revealing Wooden’s demanding work-ethic and driving perfectionism.

            Wooden wound up at UCLA in 1948 on a fluke, after two successful seasons coaching Indiana State.  After considering Minnesota or UCLA, Wooden set a deadline and accepted UCLA’s offer first.  Minnesota officials admitted to trying to reach Wooden first but were delayed when phone lines were tied up by inclement weather.  “If fate had not intervened, I would have never gone to UCLA,” said Wooden.  After turning UCLA’s basketball program around, the nation’s top players flocked to Westwood, handing Wooden the nation’s best talent.  More than only for pure success, players went to Wooden for his nurturing paternal instincts, parenting eagerly athletic young men frequently without fathers from broken homes.  Wooden’s colorblindness and generous affection for character building became the true measure of his legacy, attracting the best recruits in the country.

            Wooden never talked about winning, only working hard to achieve his players’ god-given potentials.  “I think that’s the factor from which I have received the greatest satisfaction and pleasure.  The fact that practically all my players did get their degrees and practically all of them have done well in whatever their chosen professions might be,” said Wooden, revealing his emphasis on character development not just winning.  Wooden frequently talked about his father’s “two sets of three”—“never lie,” “never cheat” and “never steal.”  Wooden would tell his players “don’t whine, don’t complain, don’t make excuses,” essentials of his “Pyramid of Success” that he developed into the first life-coaching system, motivating dozens of books by sports and business leaders.  His great players Kareem Abdul Jabbar [Lew Alcindor], Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich and other Hall-of-Famers all subscribed to the “Pyramid.”

            Wooden’s UCLA and basketball legacy goes well-beyond the hardwood to the American workplace, where he generously shared his wisdom for the benefit of all.  “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable,” Wooden once said explaining his “Pyramid of Success.”  Despite his unrivaled success at UCLA, he never asked for a raise, earning a meager $35,000 a year salary at the time of his retirement in 1975, after winning his 10th NCAA championship against Kentucky.  “This is a sad day at UCLA,” said Chancellor Gene Bock.  “Coach Wooden’s legacy transcends athletics, what he did was produce leaders,” reflecting on how Wooden’s personal philosophy mirrored the American Way.  Wooden’s life proved that humility can go hand-in-hand with the pinnacles of success.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.