Wooden: A Coach's Life

by Seth Davis

  “I don’t have blind reverence for authority”: Ibid.

  “I’ve always told my players to be quick but don’t hurry”: “Deliberate, Wan Wooden Returns to Coaching Duties,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 22, 1972.

  “He lives a lonely, at times tormenting existence”: “Wooden’s Job Tougher Than People Think”: Los Angeles Times, Dec. 25, 1972.

  “I don’t know whether winning is always good”: Johnson, John Wooden Pyramid of Success, p. 88.

  “These last few years haven’t been the happiest in our lives”: Chapin and Prugh, Wizard of Westwood, p. 316.

  “Daddy’s job wasn’t fun for us”: Sports Illustrated, Apr. 3, 1989.

  he earned only $35,000 per year: “Morgan: Bruin Power,” Los Angeles Times, July 23, 1972.

  “All I can tell you is that Mom especially was really angry about that”: Bisheff, John Wooden, p. 102.

  “There was a time if my dad had endorsed a shoe”: Johnson, John Wooden Pyramid of Success, p. 262.

  “There’s no sense trying to soft-pedal it”: “Streak Can’t Last Forever—Wooden,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 25, 1973.

  “I wouldn’t turn him on, but he doesn’t bug me”: Sports Illustrated, Feb. 5, 1973.

  “It’s a two-way street”: “Wooden Apologizes to Phelps, Shumate,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 25, 1973.

  “He asked me if I had read his book”: “It’s 61 and All-Time No. 1 for UCLA,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 28, 1973.

  “This isn’t the greatest thing”: Ibid.

  “We like pressure”: Ibid.

  He wrote a letter of apology: “Wooden Apologizes to Phelps, Shumate,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 25, 1973.

  “I’ve learned to play for my own satisfaction”: “Walton’s Leaping Has UCLA Hopping,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 24, 1973.

  “That’s because everything they do is so predictable”: Chapin and Prugh, Wizard of Westwood, p. 229.

  “Let’s see you do that on Walton”: Einhorn with Rapoport, How March Became Madness, p. 29.

  Wooden told his players that the coach of the opposing team was “bad for the game of basketball”: Walton with Wojciechowski, Bill Walton, p. 42.

  “Bill Walton was perfect”: Hall of Fame interview.

  “I don’t remember being in a rougher game”: “Pugnacious Ducks Can’t Stop UCLA,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 23, 1973.

  Wooden had arranged for the nets to be woven extra tight: Bisheff, John Wooden, p. 109.

  “I’d rather get cancer”: Reporter’s file for Time, Feb. 11, 1974.

  “You bet I was worried”: “Dynasty Totters, but UCLA Wins,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 25, 1973.

  It was a magnificent penthouse: Walton with Wojciechowski, Bill Walton, p. 36.

  “It was a calculated risk on my part”: “Wonderful World of Walton,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 27, 1973.

  “the best collegiate player I’ve ever seen”: Ibid.

  “I’m in a hurry to go see some friends”: “W is for Walton, Wooden and WOW,” Sporting News, Apr. 7, 1973.

  “I hope this will be his last season”: Los Angeles Times, Mar. 27, 1973.

  “I don’t need any reasons for coming back”: “A Slight Case of Being Superhuman,” Sports Illustrated, Apr. 2, 1973.

  “Fear and Loathing in St. Louis”: Jack Scott, Bill Walton: On the Road with the Portland Trail Blazers (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1976), p. 271.

  29. INTOLERABLE

  Interviews: Frank Arnold, Bruce Coldren, Lefty Driesell, Larry Farmer, Dick Harter, Jim Hefner, Marques Johnson, Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes, John Wooden

  “Far more disturbing than Walton’s behavior”: “Man of Few Words Draws Many Barbs,” Washington Post, Mar. 30, 1973.

  “The Wooden sales effort—and gall—reached a rare level”: “Wooden Also Intends to Be No. 1 in Nation’s Bookstalls,” Washington Post, Apr. 1, 1973.

  “UCLA’s Bruins, who beat everybody, won’t talk to just anybody”: “UCLA’s Champs as Others See Them: A Blight,” Los Angeles Times, Apr. 24, 1973.

  “a cancer”: Ibid.

  Wooden “often assumes the pompous air of his days as an English teacher”: “Phelps’ Players Dig Him,” Washington Post, Jan. 21, 1974.

  “It’s a sad thing what has happened to college basketball,” Bisheff, John Wooden, p. 84.

  it had been “a very ‘trying’ year for me”: Letter courtesy of Duane Klueh.

  “If he even loses a game they’re going to say that he’s too old”: Johnson, John Wooden Pyramid of Success, p. 88.

  “you’ll not drink wine”: Chapin and Prugh, Wizard of Westwood, p. 274.

  He then pointed out that it was his right to determine who was permitted to practice: “Walton Reports Sans Long Locks; Gives Pep Talk,” Los Angeles Times, Oct. 17, 1973.

  “I may be an anarchist,… but I’m no dummy”: “The Top Twenty,” Sports Illustrated, Nov. 26, 1973.

  “I took a dip in Sam Gilbert’s pool”: Los Angeles Times, July 22, 1973.

  “made more progress [last season], week by week”: “Wooden Opens 26th UCLA Season and Hopes to Remain Indefinitely,” Los Angeles Times, Oct. 17, 1973.

  “Wooden has his favorites and I’m not one of them”: “UCLA Cager Raps Wooden, Quits to Play for San Diego State,” Los Angeles Times, July 27, 1973.

  “We don’t need luck”: Bisheff, John Wooden, p. 140; Johnson, John Wooden Pyramid of Success, p. 450.

  “You can’t be rigid and unyielding”: Time, Feb. 25, 1974.

  “I just think winning all the time is immoral”: Ibid.

  “It’s like when we had Kareem Jabbar”: “UCLA Leaves Maryland a Shot Short, 65–64”: Los Angeles Times, Dec. 2, 1973.

  ABC gladly forked over $125,000 to each school: “Half of Big Red Is Too Much,” Sports Illustrated, Dec. 24, 1973.

  “I don’t even know what kind of defenses North Carolina [State] plays, and I don’t care”: “Wolves and Bears,” Time, Dec. 24, 1973.

  “I have my Achilles’ heels like other coaches do”: “Wooden Says He Omits!/*# When He Zings Referees”: Los Angeles Times, Dec. 21, 1973.

  “I wish he could have changed his mind earlier”: “Bench Warmer: Wooden Frustrated as Well as Taught, Corsair Coach Says,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 3, 1974.

  “If I say what I think about this accomplishment, I know I’ll sound immodest”: “Even Wooden Admits He Is Dazzled,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 17, 1974.

  “I could coach them myself”: “The End of a Week That Never Was,” Sports Illustrated, Feb. 4, 1974.

  “Oh, I’m not a time-out caller”: “The Streak Ends on Feat of Clay”: Los Angeles Times, Jan. 20, 1974.

  “I think this streak was the most tremendous thing there ever was for college basketball”: “Did Digger Outcoach the Wizard? A Tale of Two Presses,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 21, 1974.

  “They’re number one. They beat us”: “UCLA Regains the Poll Position, 94-75,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 27, 1974.

  “I like to think I’m a well-rounded human being”: “Greg Lee’s Philosophy: Basketball Is Still Just a Game,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 1, 1974.

  “I get tired carrying my 225 pounds around”: Libby, Walton Gang, p. 34.

  “Sometimes with Bill I feel like I’m handling a piece of glass”: “The Enigma of Westwood,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 11, 1974.

  They couldn’t believe he said the word crap: Einhorn with Rapoport, How March Became Madness, p. 26; Walton with Wojciechowski, Bill Walton, p. 26.

  “They listen … but do not hear”: “Wooden Says Impatient Bruins Not as Coachable as in the Past,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 4, 1974.

  “This team is not as hungry”: “Oregon State Makes It Sticky,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 10, 1974.

  “This group of UCLA players has, more or less, old-timers”: “Bruins Lack Killer Instinct—Wooden,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 14, 1974.

  “I’m sure he knows all about us”: Los Angeles Times, Feb. 4, 1974.

  “I respect UCLA’s tal
ent but have only distaste for its behavior”: “Ambushed on the Oregon Trail,” Sports Illustrated, Feb. 25, 1974.

  “We’re certainly not number one”: Ibid.

  “The right people are not playing”: Ibid.

  “I’ll admit it gets tiresome to answer the same questions over and over about what could be wrong”: “New Look, New Attitude,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 22, 1974.

  “Most coaches I know don’t think Wooden is a good X’s and O’s coach”: “Three Views: UCLA Has Been Caught with Its Guard Down,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 20, 1974.

  “I think it’s good for basketball to have UCLA lose”: “Dick Harter: USC Has Best Team in College Basketball,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 19, 1974.

  Wooden stormed into the pool area in his nightgown and stocking cap: Einhorn with Rapoport, How March Became Madness, p. 26; Walton with Wojciechowski, Bill Walton, p. 26.

  “I want North Carolina State to remember we beat them by 18 points”: “Down and Out, Back Up and Ready,” Sports Illustrated, Mar. 25, 1974.

  “They were shots we shouldn’t have taken”: “Wolfpack Rallies for 80–77 Win,” Washington Post, Mar. 24, 1974.

  “I knew it couldn’t go on forever”: “UCLA Loses Poise, Lead, Streak, Title,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 24, 1974.

  “I don’t feel like talking”: “Walton, Other Bruins May Sit Out Last Game,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 24, 1974.

  “I think consolation games are for the birds”: Ibid.

  “Yes, this is the first time I’ve ever undergone this decision process”: “Walton out of Consolation,” Washington Post, Mar. 25, 1974.

  “For the first time in my career, I became complacent this season”: “Blame Me—Wooden,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 27, 1974.

  “The streak shouldn’t have meant that much”: “Suddenly It Was Panic Time,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 9, 1975.

  “emotional and physical exhaustion”: “Mrs. Wooden Taken to Hospital After Win,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 26, 1974.

  30. FAREWELL

  Interviews: Frank Arnold, Gene Bartow, Bob Boyd, Gary Cunningham, Lefty Driesell, Dick Enberg, Dick Harter, Jim Hefner, Marques Johnson, Hank Nichols, Ted Owens, George Raveling, John Wooden

  “He told me earlier in the year that this was going to be his last year”: J. D. Morgan Oral History, UCLA Library.

  “This can get monotonous”: “Walk with Wooden,” Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1974.

  “Where have we been?”: “Scouting Reports,” Sports Illustrated, Dec. 2, 1974.

  “I’m glad I didn’t have Walton another year”: “Wooden Cleans Up on Court,” San Bernardino Sun-Telegram, Jan. 19, 1975.

  “Basketball is still very important”: “Illness Changed Life of Marques Johnson,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 5, 1975.

  “Either we’re not as good as I thought”: “For Openers, Bruins, Trojans Show Their Stuff,” Los Angeles Times, Nov. 30, 1974.

  “I have tremendous respect for what he has accomplished as a player and as a coach”: Richard “Digger” Phelps and Larry Keith, A Coach’s World (New York: Warner Books, 1975), p. 138.

  “Certain people are always looking to rap someone who’s at the top”: “Wooden’s Not Saint John,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 19, 1974.

  “They made a crusade out of it, but I liked that”: Hall of Fame interview.

  “To say I’m pleased with the play of every individual would never be true”: “Bruins-Trojans: Just Me and My Friends,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 1975.

  “Teams that don’t win the conference, I don’t think should be in”: “Wooden Unhappy with NCAA Format,” Washington Post, Feb. 12, 1975.

  “Wooden has been a problem”: “NCAA Slaps at Wooden,” Chicago Tribune, Jan. 6, 1975.

  “I don’t think the press as a whole would say that”: Ibid.

  “I’m very happy for Marv”: “Huskies’ Fans Linger to Savor Rout of UCLA,” Chicago Tribune, Feb. 24, 1975.

  “They’re competitors in their own way”: “Bruins Need Some Bounce,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 28, 1975.

  “I accept it now”: “The Wooden-Boyd Matchup,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 31, 1975.

  The professors came up with ten different categories: “What a Coach Can Teach a Teacher,” Psychology Today, Jan. 9, 1976.

  “You look back at my practice program”: “Walk with Wooden,” Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1974.

  His morning workout at the UCLA track was now starting at 5 a.m.: “Winning or Waiting, John Wooden Knows Meaning of Pressure,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 4, 1984.

  “I said to him once, what about [hiring] Tarkanian?”: J. D. Morgan Oral History, UCLA Library.

  “I’ve got a frog in my throat”: “Caught in a Spider’s Web,” Sports Illustrated, Feb. 17, 1975.

  “I was elated for Pete”: “Elated for Trgovich: Wooden Gets Emotional,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 9, 1975.

  “The public announcement won’t come until mid-April”: “Raveling Reports Wooden to Retire,” Washington Post, Mar. 9, 1975.

  “I’ve said it before and I can say it again”: “Wooden Reported Set to Retire,” Chicago Tribune, Mar. 10, 1975.

  “I won’t want to lie”: “Wooden’s Retirement Reported Imminent,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 29, 1975.

  The Los Angeles Herald Examiner published the same claim: “What a Wiz of a Win It Was,” Sports Illustrated, Apr. 7, 1975.

  “I don’t want to. I have to”: Ibid.

  “I’ve asked J. D. Morgan to release me from my coaching duties at UCLA”: “UCLA Gives Wooden a Last Hurray,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 30, 1975.

  “the health of others”: “UCLA, Kentucky Advance,” Washington Post, Mar. 30, 1975.

  “I’m thirty-five years old”: “Wooden’s Successor Still a Mystery Man,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 31, 1975.

  “There’s not much you can say about a man who has done what he has done in his profession”: “Wooden’s Swan Song,” Sporting News, Apr. 19, 1975.

  “There was a lot of emotion in the room”: “The Man Gives the Word,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 30, 1975.

  “I feel much better now that the announcement has been made”: Los Angeles Times, Mar. 31, 1975.

  “Still, it won’t dampen our spirits”: “Retirement Party Success Depends on Kentucky,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 31, 1975.

  “Never before had we done this, but we had to”: “Last NCAA Crown for the Wizard of Westwood,” Sporting News, Apr. 19, 1975.

  As he screamed “You crook!” at Nichols: Sports Illustrated, Apr. 7, 1975.

  “I hope you have a nice life”: Ibid.

  “We went out with the idea that the more we ran them, the better we’d be”: “Wooden Bows Out a Winner as UCLA Whips Kentucky,” Washington Post, Apr. 1, 1975.

  “Yes, I’m sad”: “Title a Retirement Gift,” Los Angeles Times, Apr. 1, 1975.

  “I’d like to be remembered as a person who tried to do his best”: “Hall Stays in Shadow of Legend in His Final Hour,” Washington Post, Mar. 31, 1975.

  “You let us down last year”: Wooden with Jamison, My Personal Best, p. 197; Wooden with Tobin, They Call Me Coach, p. 199.

  “If it were just coaching, it wouldn’t be so bad”: “Wooden’s Successor Still a Mystery Man,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 31, 1975.

  31. CLEAN GENE

  Interviews: Gene Bartow, David Berst, Brent Clark, Gary Cunningham, Larry Farmer, Marques Johnson, John Wooden

  “Nobody knew me”: Hall of Fame interview.

  “This is the most memorable evening of my athletic career”: “Wooden Honored on 65th Birthday,” Los Angeles Times, Oct. 16, 1975.

  “But they love him here, don’t they?”: “Pursued by a Very Long Shadow,” Sports Illustrated, Nov. 17, 1975.

  “I don’t think I left the cupboard bare”: “Bartow and UCLA Never Look Back in 88–56 Win,” Los Angeles Times, Nov. 22, 1975.

  “He makes you want to play more than Coach Wooden did”: Sports Illustrated, Nov. 17, 1975.

  “I
t used to be that teams were intimidated when they played against us”: “Grim, but They’re Bearing It,” Sports Illustrated, Feb. 16, 1976.

  “I’m going to answer honestly”: “Wooden Sees It as a Problem of Adjustment,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 20, 1976.

  “Why would he say that?”: “Boyd Says Wooden Put Heat on Bartow,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 27, 1976.

  “I want to say ‘thank you’ for possibly saving my life”: “Bartow Was in Fear of UCLA Booster,” Los Angeles Times, Aug. 4, 1993.

  “I thought the writers were very good to him”: “Wooden Still Uses the Press in Some Advice to Bartow,” Los Angeles Times, Apr. 25, 1976.

  “My job here is to preserve a tradition”: “Bartow Still Has That ‘Problem,’” Chicago Tribune, Nov. 27, 1976.

  Wooden had a brief health scare: “John Wooden Hospitalized,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 3, 1976.

  he added that over his entire career he was only assessed three technical fouls: “A Year Later, Wooden Likes the Refs Better,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 26, 1976.

  he wanted “to show how foolish stalling is by holding the ball”: “Wooden: Let’s Help the Defense,” Washington Post, Mar. 15, 1977.

  Wooden also reluctantly agreed to lend his name to a trophy: “Wooden One,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 8, 1977.

  “some Bartow backers wonder how he can ever establish a … identity”: “A Legend Leaves Big Footsteps,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 2, 1976.

  “I think he was uncomfortable with my presence”: Johnson, John Wooden Pyramid of Success, p. 133.

  Bartow was being interviewed in-studio by a local radio host named Bud Furillo: Heisler, They Shoot Coaches, Don’t They?, p. 81.

  32. THE SHADOW

  Interviews: Lucius Allen, Larry Brown, Brent Clark, Denny Crum, Gary Cunningham, Larry Farmer, Gary Franklin, Greg Goorjian, Jim Harrick, Walt Hazzard, Ken Heitz, Marques Johnson, George Raveling, Earl Schulz, Bill Walton

  “When you consider the cost of living, the pay out there is way below par”: “The Garden of Eden Isn’t in Westwood,” Los Angeles Times, Mar. 22, 1981.

  “I don’t consider Coach Wooden a shadow”: “Cunningham: Wooden Will Be a Big Help,” Long Beach Press-Telegram, July 12, 1977.