The Wizard of Westwood

Quite simply, he is the greatest coach of all time.  Obviously he is the greatest college basketball coach of all time. He has 10 Championships, 8 in a row. His UCLA team once won 88 games in a row. Phil Jackson has won a lot. So did Red and Lombardi.  How can I say, so matter of fact, that John Wooden is the greatest coach of all time?  Here is why; John Wooden passed away this week and I have watched interviews, testimonials, TV Specials and an assortment of other articles about “Coach” as his players and friends referred to him. You know how many times someone mentioned a high post or a man to man defense?  Zero, Nada, none, zilch. 

What did they mention?  Axioms, Pyramid of Success, quotes, books, religion, his wife, and how much the man meant to grown men that he coached 40 years ago.

 “Be quick, don’t hurry”

“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”

“It’s what you learn when you know it all that counts”

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.”

“Perform at your best when your best is required of you, your best is required of you everyday”

And there are a million more.

Do you hear anything about a defensive scheme?  Nope.  His Pyramid of Success is followed by coaches, players, CEO’s and Presidents. He was not coaching basketball; that just happened to be his profession.  I have heard many of his former players say things like “I never realized what he was teaching me until years later, when talking to my son. I started to say, be quick, don’t hurry”.  There are a million more stories just like that.

John Wooden taught more than basketball.  He taught boys how to become men. He taught people that success in basketball as well as life is not based on talent or ability. It is based on knowing how to react and adapt to talent and ability.  John Wooden is the greatest coach of all time because when he passed away this week at 99 no one mentioned basketball. You know why?  Because “Coach” didn’t coach basketball, he coached success at life, and he was the best at it.

RIP John Wooden, Wizard of Westwood, and The greatest coach of all time.

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About James Genovese

James Genovese is a lover of all sports especially his beloved Yankees and Vikings. James currently works in politics making the world safe for democracy. James will give Scrambled Sports an insight on Sports and their affect on society and culture. James has a BA in Political Science and a Masters in Applied Politics from the University of Akron.