Plaschke: Cori Close forging a new UCLA legend with the lessons John Wooden taught her

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UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close, center, runs practice at Mo Ostin Basketball Center at UCLA on Dec. 27. Close credits much of the success she has had as the winningest coach in UCLA women’s basketball history to the lessons she learned from coaching legend John Wooden. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

She was a kid. He was a legend.

She was an assistant coach in her first college job. He was the greatest coach in college basketball history.

She was 22. He was 83.

When she was ushered into his Encino condo for the first time, she was so nervous, she couldn’t even pronounce her name.

“Who is this?” asked John Wooden, pointing to where she was standing behind several other visiting coaches.

Cori Close oversees a team practice. Before she took over as UCLA coach, Close learned valuable lessons from Bruins coaching legend John Wooden.

“I’m Co-o-o-ri,” responded Cori Close, drawing out the simple introduction to 10 syllables.

“How do you spell that?” said Wooden.

She spelled it, and he smiled, and invited her into his den to inspect a tiny stool adorned with the same name.

“Cori, that’s my great-granddaughter’s name,” he said. “You’re the first person I’ve ever met who also spells it like that.”

Read more: After winning one title since John Wooden, how much blue is left in UCLA’s blood?

A sigh filled the room. The jitters were gone. The connection had been made.

From that moment, John Wooden treated Cori Close like, well, a great-granddaughter.

Every other Tuesday for several years, they would meet. Even after Close moved across the country, they continued to meet. Right up until Wooden died in 2010, they were in consistent contact.

Cori Close watches over her players during a recent UCLA practice session.

Wooden would teach. Close would listen. Wooden would host her for breakfast at the VIP’s Cafe. Close would surprise him at his condo with his favorite lemon custard ice cream from Baskin-Robbins.

For 17 years, they talked basketball without…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/plaschke-cori-close-forging-ucla-120036516.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2025-01-05 12:00:00

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