They Call Me Coach (Paperback)

~ John Wooden (Author), John Wooden (Author) "As I TURNED away from the post-game press conference and headed down that long corridor in Kansas City toward the dressing room, my feet and..." (more)
Key Phrases: pressing defense, zone press, set offense, Los Angeles, South Bend, Sidney Wicks (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The critically acclaimed, classic autobiography of UCLA basketball's legendary coach

"What Knute Rockne was to football, Connie Mack to baseball, and Wilbur and Orville Wright to flying, John Wooden is to basketball." --Los Angeles Times

"They Call Me Coach is grassroots Americana, a story bigger than basketball. One of those rare sports books that is must reading for everyone." --Chicago Tribune

Now featuring a great new look and a Foreword by hoop Hall of Famer Bill Walton, this classic bestselling sports bio by America's "winningest coach" is back. Still charming fans everywhere, college basketball legend John Wooden reflects on his record-breaking career, his inspired life behind the scenes, and how his top players went on to shape and change the NBA. With worldly wisdom, Wooden offers a very personal history of an unforgettable time in college basketball, answering the most-asked questions about his life, his career, and the players who made his team unbeatable.

From the Publisher

8 1-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (September 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071424911
• ISBN-13: 978-0071424912
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,287 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than basketball: a formula for winning in life., June 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: They Call Me Coach (Paperback)

John Wooden thoroughly puts forth the principles that he practices in his life as a coach, former coach, and citizen. His trips through nostalgia are insightful and incisive. More than a book on how to play better basketball, it is more in line with how to be a better person. A must read for individuals who are working with children and adults and feel that high standards and accountability are important for them and their charges.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They Call me the Greatest....is what it should be called., May 17, 2001

By	"theknightwhosays_neeek" (Flowing Water Canyon, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: They Call Me Coach (Paperback)

They Call Me Coach by John Wooden is not only one of the greatest sport books I have read but also one of my all time favorites too. In his book he tells you of his early struggle through the Depression and from the constant moving of his family. In the book he tells you of his father's enormous impact on his life, from his inspiration talks with him or just the poems he quoted. One of Wooden's own thoughts has stuck in my head also. It reads,"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."(pg 56) This great book deserves five stars because of how John Wooden can take a topic of teaching basketball, and stretch it to other sports and even educational goals. If you do not even play basketball you will like this book because whatever the sport you play, this book has something that you can apply to it. His Pyramid of Success is great and I feel it should be in every locker room of every sport. The diagram states how success can be acheived through making your team an actual team, by making them come together and be in the same mind set. These are few of the major reasons why anyone should read this book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic book about a classic coach., July 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: They Call Me Coach (Paperback)

When you have lost all of your faith in sports, buy and read this book. Coach Wooden takes us through the wonderful journey of his life, from a young boy growing up in a small Indiana town to the multiple national championships at UCLA. Its too bad there aren't more coaches like John Wooden, a truly inspiring individual