John Wooden: The Greatest Coach Followed the World's Greatest Life

"He who walks with wise men will be wise" (Proverbs 13:20).

The American sports world has lost the man considered to be its "greatest coach."

On June 4, John Wooden, the legendary "Wizard of Westwood" who guided the UCLA to ten national basketball championships in a twelve year span (1964-1975), passed from this world into eternal life.

He left behind quite a legacy. His secret? The greatest coach was a faithful follower of the Greatest Life--the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no understanding him outside of the power of Christ-like character and godly principles lived out in Coach Wooden's ninety-nine years of life.

His influence was so profound that USA Today devoted three full pages to his impact on players, sports, the nation and the world. For those not acquainted with him, here's a grateful glimpse of his remarkable story.

John Wooden was born on October 14, 1910 on a small farm in Centerton, Indiana. The farm had neither running water nor electricity. His father, Joshua Hugh Wooden, was an honest, hardworking farmer who young Wooden said "came as close to living the Golden Rule as anyone I've ever known."

Joshua Wooden loved books (he read to his family every night by a light of a coal-oil lamp), education, farming and sports (especially baseball). When young Johnny was eight years old, his dad knocked out the bottom of an old Van Camp tomato basket, hung it in the barn, and made a make-shift basketball out of knotted old nylons. Basketball was to become young Johnny Wooden's gateway to local, statewide, national and international fame.

Joshua Wooden was Johnnie's most important mentor. In his autobiography called My Personal Best he says, "Dad was the best man I ever knew, the one that set the course that guided me through life--what I believe, what I do, and how I do it." Though his dad never lived to see John win even one of his national titles at UCLA, he launched his son into life with these gems of wisdom:

• "Material things and public notice mean little. Education is important. Family is important."
• "Don't try to be better than somebody else, but never cease trying to be the best you can be." Wooden would make that advice his life and basketball philosophy--never stressing with his players that winning or beating opponents was crucial to success. What was important was always striving to be your best--and good results would follow.
• "Always try to learn from others, because you'll never know a thing that you didn't learn from somebody else--even if its what not to do."
• "Be a lover of books--especially the Bible--the greatest book in the world."
• "Blaming, cursing, hating doesn't help you. It hurts you." Wooden learned to be forgiving and take responsibility for his life.
• "Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal." Character matters.
• " Don't whine. Don't complain. Don't make excuses." Focus on the half-full cup.

Young John Wooden followed the example of his father and mother as they modeled their lives after the precepts of Christ. One day his father gave him a crisp 3X5 card with a poem on one side which read:

"Four things a man must learn to do if he would make his life more true; To think without confusion clearly, to love his fellow man sincerely, to act from honest motives purely, to trust in God and Heaven securely."

One the reverse of the card was his dad's Seven Point Creed:

1. Be true to yourself.

2. Help others.

3. Make each day your masterpiece.

4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.

5. Make friendship an art form.

6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.

7. Pray for guidance, and count and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Not a bad perspective on which to base a life.

Johnnie Wooden went on to become a star basketball player at Martinsville High School, leading the Artesians to the state championship in 1927. His God-fearing coach, Glenn Curtis, placed this poem on the team blackboard one day: "For when the one Great Scorer comes to write down your name, he writes not that you won or lost but how you played the game."

It was also at Martinsville that John met the love of his life, Nellie Riley, who was his sweetheart through high school and college. They married upon his graduation from Purdue where he led the Boilermakers to a national championship in 1932. They were in love for fifty-three years and had two children, a son James, and a daughter, Nancy.

After grieving deeply over Nellie's death on March 21, 1985, John decided to write a love letter to her every 21st of the month to mark her death--a practice he faithfully carried out for the next twenty-five years. Just before he died last week he said he was "going to see his dear Nellie." In his autobiography, he remarked, "She is the greatest thing that ever happened to me." On December 20, 2003 the floor at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion was dedicated as the "Nell and John Wooden Court."

John Wooden had his personal and family priorities straight.

With these firm foundations in his life, John Wooden went on to become the greatest college coach in history--coaching the UCLA Bruins from 1948 to 1975. During that amazing period, he coached three teams that had perfect seasons (30-0), won eighty-eight straight games during one stretch, won seven national championships in a row, and ten in a span of twelve years. 

He coached some of the greatest players in the game including Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazard, Karrem Jabbar, and Bill Walton.  Some of his coaching records may never be broken. I never met John Wooden personally, but I had the privilege of meeting one of his players who was a part of that seven year championship dynasty. Here's how I describe it in my 1992 book If God Has A Plan for My Life, Why Can't I Find It?

"During the summer of 1970, while playing on a national basketball team that toured the South Pacific, I heard a message at training camp that caused me to look at life in a different way.

Steve Patterson, starting center for the UCLA Bruins, and the man who was later that year to lead his team to their fifth straight national championship, spoke to us one evening around a campfire. UCLA was in its golden era of basketball dominance, eventually winning national titles ten out of twelve years. The team's coach was a well-known Christian, the legendary "wizard of Westwood," John Wooden. Steve shared with us Coach Wooden's philosophy.

'Did you know," Steve began, 'that at UCLA we never scout the teams we're going to play next?'  You could almost hear a gasp. 'Coach Wooden says that it's not important what the other teams do or what superstars they have. He believes that if we master the essentials of the sport, then we can beat any team in America.' 

He went on to describe how his team perfected dribbling, passing, and shooting. And then he finished by reiterating his main point: 'Coach Wooden has taught us that the key to success is majoring in the fundamentals.'

When the campfire broke up and I returned to my cabin, I  was still thinking about what I had heard that night: Master the essentials; Major in fundamentals. That summer our team took those words to heart as we traveled throughout the Pacific Rim going 29-1. When I returned home, I applied that principle to my own basketball career and led my high school to a league championship and 20-3 season.

When my sports career was over, I made a commitment to apply Coach Wooden's philosophy to my overall life and ministry. If the fundamentals were important in sports, they they must be even more important in marriage, family, vocation and ministry.

There is nothing more fundamental or major than having a right relationship with God through Christ. That became my number one pursuit. Secondly, as Coach Wooden taught, I began to pursue and teach the character qualities of Christ that were necessary for success.

John Wooden had developed a character based "Pyramid of Success" that he took with him to UCLA. In his autobiography, there is a picture of the original pyramid. On the bottom level of the triangle are the character building blocks of Industriousness, Friendship, Loyalty, Cooperation, and Enthusiasm. The second level contains Self-Control, Alertness, Initiative, Intentness. The third level describes Condition, Skill, and Team Spirit. The second level sports Poise and Confidence. The top box is labeled "Competitive Greatness." On top of the pyramid is the word "Success."

But those are not the only character qualities listed. Climbing the sides of the pyramid are the words Ambition, Concentration, Determination, Fight, Reliability, Integrity, Honesty, and Sincerity.

Quite a recipe for a great basketball player and an even greater life. In my own work, God inspired me by Coach Wooden's example to focus my life on the seven godly character qualities found in 1 Peter 1:2-11 and the nine fruits of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22,23.

Character is what a faithful life is all about. Jesus Christ is the only One that can fully develop that sterling character within us. This was the secret to John Wooden's success.

Coach Wooden left behind many memorable sayings. Here are a few of them:

• "Discipline yourself and others won't have to."
• "Respect every opponent but fear none."
• "The best way to improve your team is to improve yourself."
• "Do not mistake activity for achievement."
• "It is amazing how much we can accomplish when no no cares who gets the credit."
• "Time spent getting even would be better spent getting ahead."
• "Character is at the center of what I consider a team player."
• "Understanding human nature is absolutely crucial to a leader's success."
• "Practice is where championships are won. We play as we practice and practice as we play."
• "Winning can become routine. Ceaselessly striving to get better never becomes routine."
• "The mark of a champion is consistency of performance at your highest level under pressure."
• "Little things done well is probably the greatest secret to success."
• "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

Near the end of his ninety-nine years, Coach Wooden was asked what was his favorite personal saying. Without hesitation, he said, "Oh Lord, make me beautiful within."

The greatest coach knew our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ who alone has the ability to accomplish that request--with our cooperation.

Thanks, Coach Wooden, for a life well-lived.

Now its our turn.