Coach John Wooden was buried this week in a private ceremony with only family and close friends in attendance. Later, there will be a memorial service for the public.
But John Wooden, for all his fame, was really just an Indiana farm boy who always tried to do "his best."
While Wooden is regarded by many as the greatest coach of all time, he would probably blush at that assessment. Growing up in Martinsville, Ind., his father always taught him, "Never try and be better than anyone else — just do your own best!"
John went on to excel at every level of the game of basketball, achieving outstanding academic success at the same time.
If you ever asked Wooden how he would describe himself, the terms "friend" and "teacher" would always precede "coach." Wooden spent a lifetime making friends all over the world, and all of us will miss his wisdom and example.
I first met Coach Wooden in the spring of 1998 at the annual meeting of the Utah Tip-Off Basketball Club. Our daughter Camille's Timpview team had won the 4A state championship, and Camille was being recognized by the club as one of the state's top female athletes.
The Tip-Off Club had been the brainchild of former BYU coach Tony Ingle, who knew Wooden through coaching clinics. Tony asked Coach Wooden to attend the Tip-Off Club's annual meeting and personally present the John & Nellie Wooden male and female college coach of the year awards.
Wooden loved the idea, and later wrote me in a note, "My family and I have enjoyed our trips to Salt Lake, and we are looking forward to the next one."
I was impressed by his humble yet confident demeanor. As he spoke, the entire gathering hung on every word.
The next fall, Tony asked me to promote the Tip-Off Club, and I became secretary of the organization.
Once when I went to Tony's home, he was on the phone with Wooden. Tony waved me into his office anyway. At the time, Tony was struggling to find a new coaching position, and he was talking to Wooden about job possibilities. Tony told Wooden over the phone that I had been helping him with the Tip-Off Club, and Tony reported to me, "Coach Wooden says hello, and that he appreciates all that you are doing."
Tony then went on to listen as Coach Wooden gave him advice about how to handle his job search. I could hear his voice over the phone and, at the end, he told Tony not to be discouraged and that everything would work out. He then closed with, "I love you, Tony," and Tony replied, "I love you, too, Coach."
Wooden later offered a glowing recommendation to Kennesaw State University to hire Tony, which the school did. Tony took a lowly program and, within just a few short years, m
ade them Division II national champs.
By spring of 2001, I had briefly met Coach Wooden on two occasions with a lot of people around us. That spring, I was invited to a private reception at Little America Hotel in Salt Lake. This was an intimate gathering of about 20 people involved with the Utah Tip-Off Club.
I took my wife that evening, and as we approached Coach Wooden, I introduced us by saying, "Coach Wooden, my name is Bill Freeze, and this is my wife, Linda." He looked at me incredulously and somewhat sternly replied, "I know who you are, Bill. I met you last year. Don't you remember?"
Frankly, with all of the thousands of people he met during the course of the year, I was taken aback that he would remember me. He proceeded to talk to Linda while I just stood there somewhat in bewilderment.
The next day during a luncheon, I took our youngest daughter, Lindsey, with me to see the proceedings. Lindsey had just graduated from eighth grade, and Tony had apparently bent Coach Wooden's ear about this up-and-coming Freeze girl.
This time I didn't make the same mistake in introductions! I simply said, "Coach Wooden, this is my daughter, Lindsey. She will be going into high school next year."
Wooden motioned for us to sit down in chairs by him. As we began to talk, he turned his back to me and spoke in hushed tones only to Lindsey. This went on for several minutes, and although other people were standing there waiting to meet the coach, he seemed unhurried and very deliberate in his conversation with Lindsey.
He finally finished, and as we stood, he leaned over and said, "Bill, you have an exceptional young lady here. Take good care of her and keep me updated on her progress."
As Lindsey and I left Little America and walked to the car, I inquired, "What did Coach Wooden talk to you about?" She replied, "He talked to me about my sisters, and he wanted to know what classes I liked in school."
I inquired further, "What did he say to you about playing basketball?"
"We never talked about basketball, but he wanted to know how my grades were, and then he gave me a big challenge about my grades."
"What did you say to him?"
"I told him that through the eighth grade I had never gotten a B or less. He smiled at me and said, 'You mean you've really never gotten less than an A,' and I shook my head yes. Then he looked me straight in the eyes and told me that a girl with my capabilities who did her best could go right on through high school with straight A's. Now I have been challenged by Coach Wooden to get straight A's for the next four years!"
"Lindsey, Coach Wooden didn't say to get straight A's. He just said to do your best."
Lindsey replied unwaveringly, "Dad, the man looked me in the eyes, and I know exactly what he was saying to me. I know what I have to do."
For the next four years, Lindsey played four high school sports: cross-country, soccer, basketball and track. During her senior year, she was named Gatorade Player of the Year in basketball in Utah, and was all-state academic in all four sports with a perfect 4.0 average. The head of the Utah High School Athletic Association told me that to his knowledge that had never been done by either a boy or girl in the state of Utah.
In the spring of 2005, I updated Coach Wooden on Lindsey's achievements — just as he had asked me to. He wrote back to me in a letter dated April 1, 2005:
"You have every right to be proud of Lindsey and her accomplishments. Please give her my congratulations and best wishes in all her future endeavors. Sincerely, John Wooden."
Coach Wooden was a friend to all — a master teacher and a coaching wizard. I will never forget my experiences with him or the wisdom of his words about character, honor and trustworthiness. I will always cherish the memory of his advice to Lindsey that she should be determined to do her best.
That's what Coach Wooden taught us all about true friendship — to expect the best and to give our best.
Bill Freeze is a high priest instructor in the Lindon 23rd Ward, Lindon Utah West Stake. He has coached recreational, club and AAU sports for many years. He and his wife, Linda, have five daughters.