by Seth Davis
I am blessed to be a part of two of the most prestigious brands in sports journalism in CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated. I’ve got a lot of bosses who are great at what they do, and I appreciate that they take a genuine interest in my career. (Not that I’m sucking up or anything.) So thanks to the powers that be at CBS (Sean McManus, David Berson, Harold Bryant, Steve Karasik, and Dan Weinberg) and SI (Paul Fichtenbaum, Terry McDonell, Chris Stone, Jon Wertheim, Matt Bean, and B. J. Schecter). I also want to give a shout-out to my superlative management team at IMG: Sandy Montag, Ira Stahlberger, and Aimee Leone. I’m not really that high maintenance, am I? (Don’t answer that.) And at Times Books and Henry Holt, I would like to thank Stephen Rubin, Maggie Richards, Patricia Eisemann, Katie Kurtzman, and Emi Ikkanda.
Thank you, Sons of Equinunk.
Finally, and most important, I want to acknowledge my loving and supportive family, who fill my world with all the naches and mishegoss that make life worth living. Thanks to Lanny, Carolyn, Josh, and Jeremy Davis; Nevin and Elaine Gibson; David, Marlo, Jake, Sydney, and Devon Sims; Harvey and Gail Cohen; Ian, Allison, Samantha, and Benjamin Cohen; and the most beautiful of them all, my grandmother-in-law, Miriam Cohen.
This book is dedicated to my three sons—Zachary Charney Davis, Noah Michael Davis, and Gabriel Frances Davis—who drive me crazy and keep me sane at the same time. I realize it will be some time before you guys are old enough to read this book, but when you do, I hope it helps you understand why I was such a stickler about making sure you put on your shoes and socks properly before soccer practice. As for Melissa Beth Cohen Davis, aka “The Big Boss,” I can only say that I have never felt more grateful, humbled, and blessed that you decided to marry me, of all people. Thank you for being my best friend. Now what say we move to California?
Ridgefield, Connecticut
May 2013
ALSO BY SETH DAVIS
When March Went Mad:
The Game That Transformed Basketball
Equinunk, Tell Your Story:
My Return to Summer Camp
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SETH DAVIS is the author of the New York Times bestseller When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball and the memoir Equinunk, Tell Your Story: My Return to Summer Camp. In 1995, he joined the staff of Sports Illustrated, where he is currently a senior writer. He is also an on-air studio analyst for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network during coverage of college basketball and the NCAA tournament. A graduate of Duke University, he lives with his family in Los Angeles.
[WOODEN]. Copyright © 2014 by Seth Davis. All rights reserved. For information, address Henry Holt and Co., 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.henryholt.com
Jacket design: Rick Pracher
Jacket photograph: Getty Images
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Davis, Seth.
Wooden : a coach’s life / Seth Davis.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-8050-9280-6 (hardback)—ISBN 978-0-8050-9941-6 (electronic book)
1. Wooden, John, 1910–2010. 2. Basketball coaches—United States—Biography. I. Title.
GV884.W66D38 2014
796.323092—dc23
[B] 2013020209
e-ISBN 9780805099416
First Edition: January 2014