What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.

~ John Wooden

John Wooden is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports. His UCLA Bruins won an unprecedented twelve National Championships in fourteen years and he was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973. Yet, this incredible coach viewed basketball as merely a means to shape the character of the young men under his care. It was never about winning for Wooden, though winning came more readily to his teams than any other in the history of college basketball. It was about challenging his boys to reach for greatness, and to do so with courage and humility, so that they could be equipped to handle the challenges of marriage, fatherhood, and life.

Stony Brook athletes have had the privilege of learning under coaches who echo the ethos of Wooden. Men and women like Marvin Goldberg, Robin Lingle, Amy Helm, Fred Jordan, and John Holmes pushed their athletes to reach their potential, all the while understanding that winning was ancillary. The true goal was equipping their athletes to run life’s race and point them toward a reward that will never tarnish or rust.

Today is National Coaches Day. In honor of this day, we have put together a collection of photos of great coaches from Stony Brook’s past and present. Click here to view.

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