QUEENS, N.Y. (June 5, 2010) – John Wooden, college basketball’s gentlemanly Wizard of Westwood who built one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports at UCLA and became one of the most revered coaches ever, has died. He was 99 years old.
UCLA reported that Wooden died Friday night of natural causes at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized since May 26.
St. John’s mentor Steve Lavin forged his coaching career over 15 years in head and assistant roles at both UCLA and Purdue University; the former is the program with which Wooden is most-closely associated, and the later is Wooden’s alma mater. Lavin served as the head coach of UCLA from the 1996-97 to 2002-03 seasons and spent 12 years with the Bruins as a head or assistant coach.
“Coach Wooden leaves all of us a lasting legacy from a lifetime devoted to goodness,” said Lavin, on Wooden’s passing. “Coach believed the court was his classroom and basketball was a metaphor for life. He was an eternal learner and teacher. He was the best friend and mentor one could hope for. It is difficult to imagine a college basketball season without John Wooden being with us.”
(Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.)
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