Morgan Wootten

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Morgan Bayard Wootten (born April 21, 1931, Durham, North Carolina) is an American former high school basketball coach. From 1956 to 2002, he coached at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He has the second most wins as a head coach in the history of basketball on any level, behind Robert Hughes.[1] A number of his players went on to play in the NBA, including Adrian Dantley and Danny Ferry. Wootten gained legendary status in 1965, when his DeMatha team beat Lew Alcindor's Power Memorial Academy and ended their 71-game winning streak. His career coaching record stands at 1,274-192.

Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden (1910–2010) described his admiration for Wootten when he said, "I know of no finer coach at any level – high school, college or pro. I stand in awe of him."[citation needed] In October 2000, Coach Wootten was elected and inducted into the Hall of Fame, one of three high school basketball coaches ever so honored.

Wootten attended the University of Maryland. During his coaching career at DeMatha, located just two miles away from his alma mater, he received job offers from Georgetown and American and interest from Duke, Wake Forest, and Virginia. Wootten turned down the offers, according to Sports Illustrated, because the Maryland job, which was not forthcoming, was the only college job he wanted.[2]

Contents

Head coaching record [edit]

Season-By-Season Records Under Wootten [edit]

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Dematha Stags (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) (1956–2002)
1956-1957 DeMatha 22-10
1957-1958 DeMatha 17-11
1958-1959 DeMatha 23–10
1959-1960 DeMatha 23-10
1960-1961 DeMatha 27-1 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1961-1962 DeMatha 29-3 1st High School National Champions
1962-1963 DeMatha 36-4 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1963-1964 DeMatha 27-2 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1964-1965 DeMatha 28-1 1st High School National Champions
1965-1966 DeMatha 28-1 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1966-1967 DeMatha 26-5 1st
1967-1968 DeMatha 27-1 1st High School National Champions
1968-1969 DeMatha 27-3
1969-1970 DeMatha 28-3 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1970-1971 DeMatha 29-2 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1971-1972 DeMatha 30-1 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1972-1973 DeMatha 30-1 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1973-1974 DeMatha 27-5 1st
1974-1975 DeMatha 26-5 1st
1975-1976 DeMatha 28-5 1st
1976-1977 DeMatha 29-4
1977-1978 DeMatha 28-0 1st High School National Champions
1978-1979 DeMatha 28-3 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1979-1980 DeMatha 27-4 1st
1980-1981 DeMatha 28-2 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1981-1982 DeMatha 28-3 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1982-1983 DeMatha 27-4 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1983-1984 DeMatha 29-2 1st High School National Champions
1984-1985 DeMatha 31-3 1st
1985-1986 DeMatha 26-7
1986-1987 DeMatha 28-6 1st
1987-1988 DeMatha 30-3 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1988-1989 DeMatha 27-5
1989-1990 DeMatha 26-8 1st
1990-1991 DeMatha 30-0 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1991-1992 DeMatha 31-2 1st
1992-1993 DeMatha 20-10
1993-1994 DeMatha 28-4 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1994-1995 DeMatha 26-7
1995-1996 DeMatha 31-5 1st
1996-1997 DeMatha 27-7
1997-1998 DeMatha 34-1 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
1998-1999 DeMatha 28-4
1999-2000 DeMatha 28-5
2000-2001 DeMatha 29-6 1st
2001-2002 DeMatha 32-3 1st Ranked 1st in D.C. Area
Total: 1,274-192(.869)

      National champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference tournament champion
      Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference division champion

Later life [edit]

In 1996, Wootten nearly died because of a malfunctioning liver and was quickly rushed to the hospital for a liver transplant. Several years later, aged 75, one of his kidneys failed, and he received a transplant; the donor was his son, Joe Wootten.[citation needed]

Wootten has written five books (including A Coach for All Seasons, Coaching Basketball Successfully, and From Orphans to Champions). His youngest son, Joe Wootten, follows his lead and is a successful basketball coach at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. They both lead one of the largest camps in the US, Coach Wootten's Basketball Camp, held in Frostburg, Maryland at Frostburg State University and at Bishop O'Connell High School.[citation needed]

Notable Players Coached by Wootten [edit]

Notable Assistant Coaches to Wootten [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ NFHS Record Book
  2. ^ The Wizard Of Washington; Morgan Wootten's name is similar to John Wooden's, and so is his record as a basketball coach. In his 23 seasons at DeMatha High School he has triumphed 88% of the time, Sports Illustrated, January 29, 1977.
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