Record-breaking UCLA basketball coach John Wooden passed away over the weekend, drawing tributes from sports fans around the globe. In addition to his work with basketball, Wooden also published seven books with McGraw-Hill–selling millions of copies.
His career with the publisher began in 1997 with Wooden. Among other books, he published Wooden on Leadership in 2005. McGraw-Hill Professional president Philip Ruppel had this tribute: “Wooden touched the lives of millions and he was truly one of the rare sports figures whose influence transcended the world of sports.”
The famed coach also loved writing poetry. Poetry magazine had this tribute: “Wooden read and recited poetry as an everyday activity. He regularly recited choice lines to his players at practice, selecting specific rhymes or maxims to serve as advice or inspiration. ‘Attitude,’ John Wooden wrote, ‘is as important as knowing how to shoot a jump shot properly. Poetry, in all its forms, was an efficient tool for this.'”