A great coach who was a great role model who was a great teacher who was a great mentor. So many owe him so much. Some civilizations have held that the greatest people give the most. He certainly did. He is with God now and I will bet he has heard, "Well done!"

God bless him!

John Wooden was not just the greatest basketball coach ever.

He was undeniably the greatest coach of any sport ever.

And he was much more.

He wrote many books and helped mentor and mold many great players into great men .

He taught everyone by example the capability of man to be great and noble and yet humble.

After Coach retired, he still advised and taught and was very active well into his nineties.

Sometimes you hear that someone has passed away after a long full life and you think Well, it was their time and it was expected but I can't imagine the Bruins without him there looking over them like he's done since he retired 35 years ago.

RIP Wizard of Westwood. You will be sorely missed.

John Wooden was a great Coach and an even greater man. He not only taught you how to play basketball but how to live an inspirational life as well. I believe he has no equal, and while I never knew him personally I feel a great sadness at his passing. If heaven has a basketball team he was just promoted to head coach!

Absolutely no doubt in my mind the greatest coach ever was/is a living breathing walking Saint-for-our-times John Wooden

we were lucky to know of and have him around us for 99 years for sure

they broke the mold with Coach Wooden as he truly walked the walk and talked the talk so his spirit was true, his reckoning dead-spot on, and greatly larger than life in a humble package RIP ... home at last

Growing up in the Los Angeles basin during the 50's and 60s, I can remember listening and watching UCLA win championship after championship and they went on an 88-game winning streak which is the longest in all of sports. Mr. Wooden was such a motivator while he was coaching that it made all his athletes strive to give 110 percent on and off the court. When he retired as men's basketball coach, it was like JFK getting assassinated. Everybody who flew an American flag had it at "half-mast" as though someone had died. He has a couple of records which might be broken over the coming years such as 10 champioinships, but he has a record which will stand forever and that being his 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. With today's competitive teams, it is hard for a team to even repeat let alone with 7 or 8 straight. Humanity has lost a good person but the basketball world has lost its greatest coach ever. R.I.P. Mr. Wooden. Thanks for the memories.

I voted for Wooden, but how can Don Shula's name not be included?

One could make an argument for several on the list and a few that aren't on the list.  Regardless, he was a true gentlemen who loved his wife and earned the admiration of everyone who played for, or knew, him.  That alone is enough to celebrate and honor him.

One of my best friends, who is a die-hard Trojan, says it best: There never was a coach who could approach John Wooden. On the court, his teams dominated. Off the court, his players succeeded.

I met the coach and went to 50 or so games in 73-74 while living in Southern Cal. The greatest by far but such a humble person. I have never heard him say or do anything that would embarrass his school, sport, players or himself. The best coach ever? Why ask the question...not even close.

Wooden's titles are incredible, but would he still do that in today's 65 team field? Bowman has won Stanley Cups over 4 decades.

Simply the best, better than all the rest!!!!!!!

I admire Coach Wooden, but in truth he coached in LA with the aid (whether knowingly or not no one can say, though it seems hard to imagine that such a smart man had NO idea) of major boosters that paid for talent to be funneled through the program.

For my money, I will take Dean Smith. No substantive investigations, no allegations, lots of wins, and a humanitarian on top of being a coach who currently opposes the death penalty and integrated the ACC AND Chapel Hill when it was a risk for him to do so professionally and perhaps personally.

That he was not even listed is an insult. I have not voted for this reason.

While he was certainly a great coach, maybe the greatest ever, he was also a coach who won in a tiny field tournament with athletes that were certainly paid-for and delivered to him.

For my money, I would go with Dean Smith. Retired with the most wins, one of the best winning percentages, and NO allegations or investigations of any significance. In addition he is a humanitarian that currently opposes the death penalty and integrated both the ACC AND Chapel Hill when it was risky for him to do so.

That he was not included here is an insult.

Wooden of course!! RIP

He was a great coach....... and person. Hard to pick a greatest of all time coach. Back when he coached only one team from the conference made it to the big tournament. UCLA was the cream of their division .... hands down. Other conferences may have had 5 or 6 of the top teams in the country but only one could win the conference and only one could go to the big dance. I believe this creates an unfair playing field when comparing him to today's coaches. 

I vote for none of the above. This list has one glaring omittion; Dan Gable wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. In 21 seasons he won 21 Big Ten titles and 15 National Championships, including a ncaa record 9. None of coaches listed can compete as far as winning percentage, national titles or importance to their sport.

Their are great people who have been very successful in sports, and those who have been very successful leading people. But this man was above them all in both. This was a very fine man who taught all people how to enjoy life !

No such things as the best of all time in any sport. The fact is Wooden is one of the best and an all-star coach. One can say he went above and beyond coaching which is far more significant. Making a positive difference in shaping the lives of other people for good. I think it is unwise to compare all different sports.

@Kenn

You've said everything I wanted to say. I've never seen the man in person but have been sitting here crying like I just lost my own grandfather. This was one of the most exceptional men to grace this planet.

john wooden, A class act in every sense of the word.