The John Wooden reading list
(Read article summary)As tributes to legendary coach John Wooden continue to flow, here are the books that remind us why he matters.
They call him "the winningest coach." John Wooden, coach of UCLA's basketball team for 27 years, saw his team to 10 NCAA national championships in a 12-year period, a feat unmatched by any other college basketball coach.
As the 99-year-old Wooden suffered a health crisis this week, the world watched and remembered the remarkable legacy he created.
Did Wooden ever tire of the world of coaching? It would seem not. In a review for the Monitor of John Feinstein's book "Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four," a reader describes his own favorite scene in the book:
"Immortal UCLA coach John Wooden, now well into his 90s, recounts how he recently visited a Duke practice. His successor as the sport's top coach, the aforementioned Coach K. [Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski], invites him to sit in, and Wooden comes away impressed.
" 'I really liked his practice,' Coach Wooden tells the author. 'No wasted motion or time. A clear plan about what was to be done that day. I remember sitting there thinking, "The only thing that would be more fun than watching this practice would be to run it." ' "
Wooden has not been shy about sharing his thoughts and philosophy in print. He is the author of at least a dozen books, including several children's books tracking the adventures of tiny friends Inch and Miles. For those who want to catch up on Wooden's life and work, here's a list of books – mostly by Wooden himself – that provide an excellent starting point.
1. "They Call Me Coach," by John Wooden with Jack Tobin. In his autobiography Wooden answered some of the questions fans most often clamored to know about his life, his work, and his players.
