[rmjvol]

Widely regarded as the greatest college coach in history, Coach John Wooden has an unmatched record of 10 NCAA National Championships while at UCLA.

Wooden's Coaching Career

High School

Wooden coached two years at Dayton High School in Kentucky. His first year at Dayton would be the only time he would have a losing record (6-11). After Dayton he returned to Indiana, teaching English and coaching basketball at South Bend Central High School until entering the Armed Forces. His high school coaching record was 218-42.

Indiana State University

After the war, Wooden coached at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana from 1946 to 1948, succeeding his high school coach, Glenn Curtis, who became head coach of the professional Detroit Falcons. Wooden also coached baseball and served as athletic director. In 1947, Wooden's basketball team won the conference title and received an invitation to the NAIB National Tournament in Kansas City. Wooden refused the invitation citing the NAIB's policy banning African American players. A member on the Indiana State Sycamores' team was Clarence Walker, an African-American athlete from East Chicago, Indiana. In 1948 the NAIB changed this policy and Wooden guided his team to the NAIB final, losing to Louisville. That year, Walker became the first African-American to play in any post-season intercollegiate basketball tournament. John Wooden was inducted into the Indiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame on February 3, 1984.

UCLA

In 1948 Coach John Wooden accepted the coaching position at UCLA where he gained lasting fame, winning 665 games and ten NCAA titles in twelve seasons, including 7 in a row from 1967 to 1973. His UCLA teams also had a record winning streak of 88 games, four perfect 30-0 seasons, and won 38 straight games in the NCAA Tournament. In 1972, he received Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. Nicknamed "The Wizard of Westwood," Wooden retired immediately after his 10th title in 1975. John Wooden coached what would be his final game in Pauley Pavilion March 1st, 1975 in a 93-59 victory over Stanford. Four weeks later he would surprisingly announce his retirement following the NCAA semi-final victory against the University of Louisville and before his 10th National championship victory against Kentucky.

UCLA had actually been Wooden's second choice for a coaching position in 1948. He was also pursued for a coaching position by the University of Minnesota, and it was his and wife Nellie's desire to remain in the Midwest. Inclement weather prevented Coach Wooden from receiving the scheduled phone offer from the U of M, and thinking they had lost interest, Wooden accepted the UCLA position.

He was married to his wife Nellie for 53 years, until her death in 1985.