Pyramid Tribute: In Memory of John Wooden
By: Russ Willemsen, Assistant Coach - Tennessee Tech
Stan Jones, Associate Head Coach at Florida State University, once told me a Chinese proverb, "A beggar lives meal to meal. A peasant lives day to day. A farmer lives season to season. A nobleman lives year to year. A king lives 10 years at a time, but an emperor lives a century at a time."
In a coaching profession in which we live to make our next move, the greatest coach of all-time built his legacy with strong conviction and longevity. John Wooden simplified his life to a few basic principles known as the Pyramid of Success. These core values extend past the game of basketball and apply to the game of life.
I have been asked to write this introduction for the Pyramid Tribute in which highly regarded coaches, former players, and members of UCLA's staff pay tribute to the life of Coach John Wooden. An honor in which I am humbled and proud in the same breath. Over the next 15 days, College Chalktalk hosts the Pyramid Tribute, where UCLA’s Ben Howland, Texas’ Rick Barnes, UNC’s Roy Williams, former UCLA star Kevin Love and others discuss Wooden’s Pyramid of Success block-by-block. This dissection will not only provide all of us better insight into the philosophies of John Wooden, but also show how this basketball and coaching fraternity is intertwined on the beliefs of one man.
For me, it was April 2004 and I was a senior at Lee University
taking a general coaching class. My instructor was Kay
McDaniel. She had always challenged us to think outside the
box. She gave me an idea to write John Wooden a letter.
I always heard he would personally write back, so I called
UCLA’s basketball office and asked where to send the letter
and then spent hours brainstorming what to write. This was my
chance to somehow connect with this coaching icon. I poured
my heart and soul into this letter and placed it in the
mail. June 2, 2004, I received a letter back from Coach
Wooden with business cards signed by him labeled 'Timeless
Wisdom', that had a bunch of his philosophical beliefs. The
few moments it took him to write that letter to me left a
lasting impression. I still have that letter today... and
learned later on that the person who delivered my letter to
Coach Wooden was Doug Erickson, another contributor to the Pyramid
Tribute.
It’s been roughly a month since the passing of Coach Wooden. In this time we have had a chance to reflect and mourn his loss. One thing is for sure, his teachings will always live on in many coaches. Tom Izzo’s Michigan State teams have always played with poise and character. Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin squads seem to have uncanny team spirit. My boss, Mike Sutton, coached with Tubby Smith at five different schools, helping to win a national championship at one along the way. Coach Smith has always been a man of strong character and intentness.
One impression John Wooden left with me outside of basketball is the ability to love. His wife passed away March 21, 1985. On the 21st of each month thereafter for the next 20-plus years, he wrote a love letter to her that no one else read. Talk about loyalty! My wife and I tied the knot May 8th of this year. His dedication to marriage is something we strive to emulate. If I can stay true to my own beliefs, as Coach Wooden taught, I can begin to build my own Pyramid of Success. R.I.P. Coach Wooden, you will forever be missed!
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Pyramid design courtesy of K-T-Studio.com
