john robert wooden (october 14, 1910 – june 4, 2010) was an american basketball player and coach. nicknamed the "wizard of westwood", he won ten ncaa national championships in a 12-year period—seven in a row. wooden was named a member of the basketball hall of fame as a player (inducted in 1961) and as a coach (in 1973), the first person ever to be in both categories. he was a democrat.