LOS ANGELES (BNO NEWS) — John Wooden, Previous University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) coach, who escorted the basketball squad to a record ten countrywide titles, passed away at a hospital in LA on Friday after being hospitalized due to dehydration previous week. He was 99 years old.
Wooden was admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on May 26 due to dehydration, said Marc Dellins, the Sports Information Director for UCLA. “Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden passed away at 6:45 pm PT Friday evening at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center of natural causes,” Dellins said. His family was with him when he died.
The following are quotes in response to Wooden’s death.
Nan and Jim Wooden, John Wooden’s children, released the following joint statement. “We want to thank everyone for their love and support for our father. We will miss him more than words can express. He has been, and always will be, the guiding light for our family. The love, guidance and support he has given us will never be forgotten. Our peace of mind at this time is knowing that he has gone to be with our mother, whom he has continued to love and cherish. We wish to express our gratitude for your support and appreciate your respecting our privacy.”
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said: “With the passing of John Wooden, we have lost a true giant and a gentleman, an individual who was perhaps more closely identified with UCLA than any other person in our university’s history. Coach Wooden was an unparalleled motivator and an inspiration to people throughout the world. Those of us who were fortunate enough to meet him will forever be touched by his unfailing wisdom and generous spirit.”
“Coach Wooden’s record of hundreds of victories and 10 national titles established a gold standard of achievement in college athletics. Both on the court and off, he was a teacher, role model and mentor who guided his players and generations of UCLA coaches and student-athletes to become champions in life. His lasting influence has extended far beyond the campus to include leaders in academia, business and government.”
“The renowned Wooden Pyramid of Success — a copy of which hangs in my office — encourages us all to value cooperation, loyalty and team spirit. The Pyramid remains one of the most recognized blueprints for competitive excellence, in any pursuit.”
“Coach Wooden and his beloved wife, Nell, were treasured members of the UCLA family, and the Nell and John Wooden Court at Pauley Pavilion is a lasting testament to their place in our hearts.”
“John Wooden’s remarkable legacy will stand forever at UCLA. Today, as we mourn his loss, we also extend our deepest sympathy to his daughter, Nan, his son, James, and his entire family. The university flag in front of Pauley Pavilion will be lowered to half-staff, and a public memorial is being planned,” Block concluded.
UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero said: “There will never be another John Wooden. While this is a huge loss for the Bruin family, Coach Wooden’s influence reaches far beyond Westwood. Coach was a tremendously significant figure, and this loss will be felt by individuals from all parts of society. He was not only the greatest coach in the history of any sport, but he was an exceptional individual that transcended the sporting world, and his enduring legacy as a role model is one we should all strive to emulate.”
“I can still recall my first interactions with Coach Wooden when I was a member of the UCLA baseball team and he was in the midst of his incredible run of championships. While attending those basketball games was certainly a highlight for me, what stands out even more was Coach making the effort to come to our baseball games to cheer for us, and what a special feeling that was for our team. Since then, I have had the unique opportunity to develop a close personal relationship with Coach Wooden over the years, and that’s something I will treasure for the rest of my life.”
“Not only did Coach Wooden impact the lives of his own players, he impacted the lives of generations of UCLA student-athletes. To watch him come to one of our functions and interact with current student-athletes who were born well after his retirement as a coach was a thrill to behold. He had the knack of bridging the generation gap and was the most humble person you could ever hope to meet. He is, without a doubt, one of the most historic figures of the last century and has left an indelible mark on our world. He is, as Bill Walton once said, a national treasure, and he will be remembered as such forever.”
UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland said: “The loss of John Wooden saddens the UCLA community and beyond. Coach Wooden, in life and in death, is and always will be the UCLA Men’s Basketball Head Coach. His basketball successes and championships were an element of his magnificent, far-reaching life.”
“Coach Wooden’s timeless teachings, philosophies and “Pyramid of Success” not only influenced the lives of his players but the lives of millions of people around the world. Friendship, loyalty, team spirit and competitive greatness are not just building blocks in his “Pyramid of Success” — it’s how Coach Wooden led his own life and taught others to live. Always the teacher and mentor, throughout his life, Coach Wooden was so giving of himself and his time to everyone.”
“Coach Wooden was a wonderful person and great friend who is truly a national treasure. His legacy and legend will continue to live on in each of us striving to be the “best that we are capable of becoming” as athletes, coaches, teachers, parents and human beings,” Howland concluded.
Retired basketball player Abdul-Jabbar said: “It’s kind of hard to talk about Coach Wooden simply, because he was a complex man. But he taught in a very simple way. He just used sports as a means to teach us how to apply ourselves to any situation.”
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, who selected Wooden as the inaugural recipient of the Sachem – the state’s highest honor – in 2005, said: “We sports fans will always remember 10 national championships, an 88-game winning streak and other unbreakable records, but every American should remember Coach Wooden for things more important: the character of his own life, the character he helped build in countless young men and his unfailing loyalty to principle, his faith and his beloved wife. He was our first Indiana Sachem Award winner for a reason and we’ll never find a better example of what it means to be a Hoosier when we’re at our very best.”
The following are memorable quotes from John Wooden himself:
“People come up to me and say, ‘Aren’t you proud of all these players who went pro?’ I am, but no more so than those who played for me, didn’t play pro ball and still made a success of themselves.” — to Los Angeles Herald Examiner’s Bob Keisser on June 26, 1987.
“I don’t think I was a fine game coach. I don’t think I was a great strategy guy. I think I was a good practice coach. I could tell you right now what we did at every practice I had at UCLA — every day, every minute. It’s all on paper.” — to UCLA Magazine in the Summer of 2000.
“The only thing I missed was what I enjoyed most, the practices. That’s where I got to work with youngsters. I liked to observe what we needed to change in practices. And I always enjoyed the daily association with these young men. I miss that.” — to Los Angeles Herald Examiner’s Bob Keisser on June 26, 1987.
“I don’t believe in praying to win. The prayer I’d like to hear beforehand is for nobody to get hurt and that you participate to the best of your own individual ability.” — to UCLA Magazine in Summer 2000.
“Every day was a good day at UCLA.” — to UCLA Magazine in March 2007.
“There are three things an athlete must do. You must be in physical condition … You must execute properly and quickly the fundamentals … and you must have eagerness to sacrifice personal interests or glory for the welfare of the team.” — to the McClatchy News Service on June 20, 1987.
“There is no substitute for hard work. If you’re looking for the easy way, if you’re looking for the trick, you might get by for a while, but you will not be developing the talents that lie within you. There is simply no substitute for work.” — at the John Wooden Global Leadership Award ceremony on May 21, 2009.
“Don’t be afraid to fail. The greatest failure of all is failure to act when action is needed. Use the information that you’ve acquired in the past through the experiences you’ve had and act with self-control – but act.” — at the John Wooden Global Leadership Award ceremony on May 21, 2009.
“You can’t have confidence unless you are prepared. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” — at the John Wooden Global Leadership Award ceremony on May 21, 2009.
“I never met a person from whom I did not learn something.” — at the John Wooden Global Leadership Award ceremony on May 21, 2009.
“Passion is temporary. It doesn’t last long. Love is enduring. And that’s the important thing. If we all had love in our lives to the degree that we should, it would be much happier.” — at the John Wooden Global Leadership Award ceremony on May 21, 2009.
“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” — Date unknown.
“Ability is a poor man’s wealth.” — Date unknown.
“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.” — Date unknown.
“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.” — Date unknown.
“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” — Date unknown.
“Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.” — Date unknown.
