"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."-John Wooden
John Wooden is a legendary college basketball coach. Widely regarded as the greatest college coach of all-time during his tenure at UCLA. Wooden was born October 10th, 1910 in the small town of Hall, Indiana, to a family of six. Wooden's family faced hard times on the farm in Indiana and moved to Martinsville, IN. where he played highschool basketball. Martinsville High School basketball team lost in the finals of the Indiana State High School Championships to Marion Highschool 30-23 in Wooden's junior year.Only to defeat Muncie Central 26-23 in the following year.
After graduating in 1928. He attended Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he was a three-time All-American guard. In 1942 he enlisted in the Navy where he gained the rank of lieutenant during World War II. After coming back from war Wooden began coaching at the high school level at Dayton High School then South Bend Central High School, before moving onto coach the Indiana State Teachers College and finally UCLA in 1948. During his time at UCLA, from 1948-1976 John Wooden set a number of records that still stand today.
On November 17, 2006, John Wooden was recognized for his influence on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was one of five selected to represent the inaugural class. In his retirement Wooden has written two best selling books, Wooden on Leadership and They Call Me Coach Four coaches left UCLA in the nine years following Wooden, and none of the seven former UCLA coaches since Wooden have left the school on good terms. The school went 20 years after Wooden before winning another national basketball championship, in 1995 under coach Jim Harrick.
Coach John Wooden's Official Site
ESPN Q and A with Coach John Wooden