Coaching Legends

John Wooden

            John Wooden made a name for himself in college basketball, coaching at UCLA. He was nicknamed the Wizard of Westwood and still holds the NCAA record for having 88 consecutive wins (Mataconis, 2010). His success on paper is undeniable as he led his teams to twelve NCAA Championships. To me it is not his success that I admire about him, but rather his intelligence. Listening to his speeches and interviews I always seem to learn something new. He has a way of making people look at sport in a new light. He refers a lot to his childhood and the way he was brought up which is admirable. To see him speak about the game of basketball you can see how much he loved it. Although he was “old fashioned” he just seemed to get it right. He believed in developing people rather than athletes. He believed school was of utmost importance as well as social skills. He didn’t want his players to be only basketball players, but instead to live their life and explore other things. He is truly inspiring and was so educated in what he did that it would be hard for anyone to criticize him. Unfortunately, John Wooden died in 2010 at the age of 99 leaving behind a legacy that will last forever. As a sign of what he meant to their organization UCLA celebrates John Wooden Day every February 29^th. He truly was a great example for the many players who he mentored.

Toe Blake

Hector Blake was more commonly known as Toe Blake. I thought this was a very strange nickname and was interested in knowing the origins of it. According to the Official Site of the hockey Hall of Fame his nickname came from his childhood. As a child his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name correctly and instead called him Hec-toe, hence the name Toe. It is very interesting that a nick name derived at such a young age has stuck for so long. Toe Blake’s career as a player was cut short due to a double fracture in his ankle but his coaching career lasted a total of thirteen years. Even more remarkable than this is the fact that he spent his whole career as a coach with one team, the Montreal Canadiens. Making Toe Blake suitable for this job was his fluency in French along with his ability to control his players. He is remembered for his tough but fair coaching style. I believe in order to be successful all coaches need to have a certain level of toughness in order to get the job done. But Blake not only showed his players his tough side, he went above and beyond for his players. His players knew he was on his side and that is very important to a player when they feel as if their coach has their back. Sadly, Toe Blake was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and passed away in 1995 at the age of 82. Long before Blake passed away he was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1966. It is easy to see how loved Toe Blake was among his community and hockey fans. An example of the love, and loyalty his community shared for him is the Community Centre in his hometown being renamed “Toe Blake Memorial Arena”. Not only is he commemorated in his hometown, but a park located next to his home in Montreal is also named in his honour. In my opinion, these actions alone show how much of an influence he had not only on his players but on the communities in which he was involved in. He had knowledge of the game but it was his personality and likability that allowed him to establish a relationship with his players as a great coach does and allowing him to win eight Stanley cups.

Bobby Knight

Everyone knows him as Bob Knight but his real name is Robert Montgomery Knight. Bobby Knight may possibly be one of the craziest coaches I have ever seen. He is known for his crazy antics and unpredictable responses to reporters. But regardless of how crazy he appears, he is without a doubt one of the most successful coaches of his time. Bob Knight won 3 NCAA championships, 1 National Invitation Tournament championship, and 11 Big Ten Conference championships. Knight also coached the USA men’s Olympic team to a gold medal in 1984. These credentials leaves him as being one of only three people to have ever won a NCAA title, NIT title, as well as an Olympic gold medal. Nicknamed “the general” it was obvious how much Bobby Knight expected out of his players. He was completely unpredictable but a riot to watch when he got upset. There are so many examples of times when he would completely lose his temper, such as throwing a chair onto the court. Throughout his remarkable 43 years of coaching (1965 - 2008) he became just as popular as the major names in the game. I would think that many fans went to games just as much to see him as to see the basketball game. It almost makes me wonder if he embraced his short temper in order to draw a crowd. It seems possible that on top of actually being upset with certain calls he could also have been putting on a show for the crowd. Regardless of what his intentions were he was a celebrity in the game. Bob Knight retired in 2008 but left behind a legacy, as well as many “enthusiastic” videos of himself.

Interview with a Coach

This podcast is an interview with the head coach of the Leamington Flyers hockey team. He shares some of his insight into what coaching entails and the role he believes a coach should play. He also shares his favourite coach of all time and how he believes coaches become successful. It is an interesting interview which gives a point of view from some one else other than myself.

Tony La Russa

Before becoming a manager/ head coach Anthony “Tony” La Russa, Jr. was an infielder in the major leagues. His Success as a player was not particularly notable but his career as a manager was indeed impressive. One unique attribute of La Russa’s was his teaching style. Most coach’s focus on technique and perfecting certain skills but Tony La Russa believed otherwise. He decided to teach his players and attitude rather than a technique and it has obviously worked out will for him. La Russa has won a total of six league championships and three World Series titles. Similar too many baseball managers’ he has had periods of time where his crazy antics are displayed but I would not consider him one of the craziest coaches I have ever seen. Tony La Russa gets his coaching style based upon experience. I find him very unique in the fact that his style of coaching is based more on instinct and feel. On October 31, 2011, a Russa announced his retirement three days after winning the 2011 title. An example of the type of coaching beliefs Tony La Russa held is shown through one of his quotes: 

“I don’t care how much talent you have or don’t have. If you play the game intelligently, if you execute the fundamentals, you can win.”

-          Tony La Russa, Baseball Manager

Scotty Bowman

William Scott Bowman, more commonly known as "Scotty" has been referred to as a “living legend”. (CBC Sports) Scotty Bowman retired from coaching in 2002 but remains involved in the game of hockey. He is decorated with the record of having the most wins in league history but it is much more than his statistics that make him a legend. It is evident that with the record he set he must be an extraordinary coach and it is even more impressive that he accomplished these feats by coaching a variety of teams. I think that anyone can win nine Stanley Cups should be recognized for their ability but I believe that being able to do so with three different teams is just that much more  notable. Bowman had the ability to keep his players grounded and focused which is what every coach hopes for. Many only hope to be the tactician that he was and his ability to motivate his players made his a coach people did not want to coach against. I think that is a coach has the ability to outwit their opponents they become an extreme threat to the other team. Playing against a superstar player is one challenge but having to go against a coach who not only had his superstar players always playing to their best but also having his role players geared up to compete at their fullest potential. There are many reasons why Scotty Bowman as recognized at being one of the greatest coaches of not only his ere but all eras. One of these reason being the fact that Bowman is the only coach to be as successful as he was with as many teams and generations of athletes as he was (CBC Sports). In 1991 well before his retiring Scotty Bowman took his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. In my opinion Bowman did not become a legend because of his intelligence and unbeatable tactics. His real gift was the ability to motivate his players. If a coach can get their players to perform to their full potential at all times and always give 100%, it is only natural the coaches tactics will become more effective.