John Wooden dies at 99

[Ron Thorne]

John Wooden dies at 99; UCLA basketball coach won 10 national titles

Wooden's accomplishments during his 27-season tenure with the Bruins made him one of the greatest coaches in sports history. He also created the 'Pyramid of Success' motivational program.



Wooden delivers instructions during a timeout in the 1972 NCAA championship game at the L.A.
Sports Arena. UCLA defeated Florida State, 81-76; Bill Walton, seated at left, was named the tourn-
ament's most outstanding player. (Rich Clarkson / Sports Illustrated)

By Bill Dwyre and David Wharton
June 5, 2010

John Wooden, the UCLA basketball coach who became an icon of American sports while guiding the Bruins to an unprecedented 10 national championships in the 1960s and '70s and remained in the spotlight during retirement with his "Pyramid of Success" motivational program, has died. He was 99.

Wooden died Friday evening of natural causes at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the university announced. He had been hospitalized since last week for dehydration.

Full story here<

[ran]

I was waiting to see how long it took for this to show up.

In the years that I've been here I've seen RIP's written for people whose sole contribution to life amounts to that of Carrot top.

Maybe it's because I've grown up in the shadow of Wooden. There are not very many people that we have left that can be coined "The Best". That my family lineage runs through USC and I have had to admit that I have attended classes at UCLA is a tough pill to swallow. He might have been a lucky man to have been at the right place at the right time. For those who have grown up around that , I say we were the more fortunate to have had him around us. He gave a lot more then he took.

I'm not sad , for christ sake he was 99 years old. I'm celebrating Coach Wooden tonight.

[Mike Schwartz]

They don't make 'em like that anymore!

[hornplayer]

They don't make 'em like that anymore!

You can say that again!