John Wooden

Basketball Coach

Birthday October 14, 1910

Birth Sign Libra

Birthplace Hall, IN

DEATH DATE Jun 4, 2010 (99)

#56149 Most Popular

About

Legendary basketball coach who led UCLA to ten national titles from 1964 to 1975. He was a 6-time NCAA College Basketball Coach of the Year and he was inducted into both the Basketball Hall of Fame and College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Before Fame

He went to the state championship finals three straight years during his playing days at Martinsville High School. He then went on to play college basketball at Purdue from 1929 to 1932.

Trivia

He was dubbed the Wizard of Westwood, for his constant ability to combine positive thinking with winning strategy.

Family Life

He was married to Nellie Riley from 1932 until her death in 1985.

Associated With

He was loved by many of the players he coached, one of those being Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor.