John Wooden
American basketball player and head coach at the University of California at Los Angeles
John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball player and head coach at the University of California at Los Angeles. Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood,” he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period as head coach at UCLA, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than two in a row. Within this period, his teams won an NCAA men’s basketball record 88 consecutive games. Wooden was named national coach of the year six times. He also won a Helms national championship at Purdue as a player 1931–1932 for a total of 11 national titles, a feat matched only by Geno Auriemma of NCAA women’s basketball.
As a 5’10” guard, Wooden was the first to be named basketball All-American three times, and the 1932 Purdue team on which he played as a senior was retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA Tournament national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. Wooden was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1960) and as a coach (1973), the first person ever enshrined in both categories. Lenny Wilkens, Bill Sharman and Tommy Heinsohn are the only other basketball personalities who have since been accorded the same honors.
One of the most revered coaches in the history of sports, Wooden was beloved by his former players, among them Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton. Wooden was renowned for his short, simple inspirational messages to his players, including his “Pyramid of Success.” These often were directed at how to be a success in life as well as in basketball. Wooden’s 29-year coaching career and overwhelmingly positive critical acclaim have created a legacy of great interest in not only sports, but in business, personal success, and organizational leadership as well.
src: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wooden
Happiness begins where selfishness ends.
-John Wooden
Yelling doesn’t win ball games. It doesn’t put any points on the scoreboard. And I don’t think words win ball games all the time. Players do not, preparation does.
-Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian
College basketball head coach
Tark the Shark.
Jerry Tarkanian’s nickname should be enough to identify him, especially if you are a fan of college basketball. Tarkanian is one of the winningest head coaches in college basketball history. Tarkanian has a 706-198 winning record across all divisions. His 78.4 winning percentage is fifth all time as a college basketball head coach. Tarkanian coached Riverside City College, Pasadena City College, Long Beach State, UNLV and Fresno State and the San Antonio Spurs. Tarkanian led UNLV to four final four appearances in 1977, 1987, 1990 and 1991. He will always be remembered for his success and his colorful attitude on the sidelines.
Tarkanian was very influential in the Armenian community and his success as a head coach is a big inspiration.