John Wooden made college basketball worth watching in Los Angeles, leading the Bruins to numerous national championships. Known as the “Wizard of Westwood,” Wooden also made sure his players knew how to play basketball the right way.
At least, the Wooden way of playing basketball. His instructions not only on basketball, but life itself, stayed with players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor in his UCLA days) and Bill Walton forever.
Coach John Wooden’s Incredible Run of NCAA Championships
With the NCAA Men’s Tournament down to the Sweet 16 this season, it’s a good time to look back and see just how many championships Wooden led UCLA to in his tenure.
In 27 seasons as UCLA’s head coach, Wooden led the Bruins to 10 national championships. That makes him the reigning king of men’s college basketball titles. Wooden even led UCLA to 7 straight NCAA titles between 1967-73.
Wooden wasn’t just a dedicated basketball coach, though. He often reminded people of his wife, Nellie, who could be seen by his side after his championship victories. Wooden coached the Bruins from 1948 to 1975.
What was his winning percentage at UCLA? An astonishing 80.8% with an overall record of 620-147. Wooden finished his coaching career with a 664-162 record, winning 80.4% of his games at Indiana State and UCLA combined.
Toss in 19 conference titles that Wooden brought to the school.
In 1966, Wooden published “Practical Modern Basketball,” which is still used by college teams and players today. In 1960, Wooden was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player. Wooden was a three-time All-America selection at Purdue.
Then, in 1973, Wooden was inducted into the same Hall of Fame as a coach. Wooden is the first person to be inducted as both a player and a coach. In 1984, Wooden was a charter member of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
Wooden started his college coaching career in 1946 and spent two seasons leading the Indiana State Sycamores. Then, in 1948, he took over the UCLA program. UCLA played in the Pacific Coast Conference, Athletic Association of Western Universities, and the Pac-8 Conference throughout Wooden’s tenure.
In four separate seasons, Wooden’s teams finished with perfect 30-0 records. Wooden finished his coaching career on a high note, leading the Bruins to a 28-3 overall record and his final NCAA championship in the 1974-75 season.
Besides Alcindor and Walton, other UCLA players who went on to NBA careers included Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazzard, Sidney Wicks, Henry Bibby, and Jamaal Wilkes.
Wooden died on June 4, 2010, at 99 years old. Even in his old age, Wooden found a way to attend some UCLA games. He remained committed to his college basketball program at UCLA and to his wife. Wooden’s lessons are still being taught today. His impact on the game of college basketball will last forever
