John Wooden Quotes

Author Image

John Wooden

Profession : Coach

Birth : October 14, 1910

Teaching players during practices was what coaching was all about to me.

John Wooden

If a player's not doing the things he should, put him on the bench. He'll come around.

John Wooden

Ability is a poor man's wealth.

John Wooden

I've been blessed in so many ways.

John Wooden

I met Tiger Woods when he was younger. He's amazing - obviously technically, but his mental approach, too. He's really something.

John Wooden

If there's anything you could point out where I was a little different, it was the fact that I never mentioned winning.

John Wooden

If I were a young coach today, I would be extremely careful in selecting assistants.

John Wooden

Somebody asked me - you know, how come it took you so long to win a national championship? And I said, 'I'm a slow learner; but you notice when I learn something, I have it down pretty good.'

John Wooden

I don't believe in praying to win.

John Wooden

I think permitting the game to become too physical takes away a little bit of the beauty.

John Wooden

I found golf was too time consuming, but I did enjoy it.

John Wooden

I seldom was ever off my seat on the bench during the game.

John Wooden

Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.

John Wooden

Love is the most important thing in the world. Hate, we should remove from the dictionary.

John Wooden

I don't believe in fate.

John Wooden

I'd be satisfied just coaching in high school. I turned down a number of colleges when I was teaching in South Bend, Indiana, before I went into the service. I honestly believe that if I hadn't enlisted in the service, I would never have left high school teaching. I'm sure I would have never left.

John Wooden

No one can really honestly be the very best, no one.

John Wooden

I'm no wizard, and I don't like being thought of in that light at all. I think of a wizard as being some sort of magician or something, doing something on the sly or something, and I don't want to be thought of in that way.

John Wooden

I like to spend time in the past, with the things that have been important to me.

John Wooden

I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn't try to run their lives.

John Wooden