RIP Morgan Wootten; HS Basketball Coaching Legend

[Gator By Marriage]

Somehow I missed this last week, but, on January 21st, DC area basketball coaching legend Morgan Wootten passed away at the age of 88. Most of our board members grew up in Florida and may not know much about him, but when I was growing up in DC, everyone knew who Coach Wootten was. During his run at St. John DeMatha ("DeMatha") High School, from 1956 to 2002, his teams won 1274 games, 5 "National Titles", 33 league titles and 22 DC championships. A dozen of his former players later played in the NBA and over 150 played college basketball. (When I was in HS, he was on streak that lasted for many years of every graduating senior on the team having been offered a scholarship to play college ball.) John Wooden once said of Wootten; "I know of no finer coach at any level -- high school, college, or pro. I've said it elsewhere and I'll say it here: I stand in awe of him." Pretty high praise for a high school coach.
My cousin went to DeMatha and had the privilege of being in Coach Wootten's Freshman World History Class. He once told me Coach Wootten may have been best known for his coaching prowess, but to him, Coach Wootten would be remembered first as one of the finest teachers he ever had. RIP Coach.

 

[FireFoley]

Thanx for posting. I saw this a week or so ago and I am guilty also of letting it go by. As someone who played and coached basketball Wooten was one of the names that we admired. I find it so ironic that he might be considered the best HS bball coach of all time and the Wizard of Westwood named Wooden is considered one of the greatest college bball coaches of all time. Similar last names, similar results. Wooten turned down college HC offers numerous times and always said he liked what he was doing.

 

[alcoholica]

He is spoken about in the 30 for 30 about NC State’s run in the early ‘80’s. Was offered the job before Valvano got it.

 

[BMF]

The local sports radio show that comes on in the morning, The Sports Junkies, in DC have four guys that do the show and one of them played for Wootten. They were talking about the funeral today and said it was well attended and several of his former players were there including Adrian Dantley and Danny Ferry.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

He is spoken about in the 30 for 30 about NC State’s run in the early ‘80’s. Was offered the job before Valvano got it.

He was only interested in one job: Maryland.
The starting guards on that NC State team, Derek Whittenburg and Sidney Lowe, played for Wootten at DeMatha.

 

[FireFoley]

Didn't one of those DeMatha teams have Reggie Lewis, Reggie Williams and Mugsy Bogues on the same team? Maybe I am thinking of another HS

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Didn't one of those DeMatha teams have Reggie Lewis, Reggie Williams and Mugsy Bogues on the same team? Maybe I am thinking of another HS

That would be Dunbar HS in Baltimore.

 

[FireFoley]

He was only interested in one job: Maryland.
The starting guards on that NC State team, Derek Whittenburg and Sidney Lowe, played for Wootten at DeMatha.

And didn;t Maryland end up hiring another high school coach in Wade? How did that work out?

 

[FireFoley]

That would be Dunbar HS in Baltimore.

That's correct. My bad. Right group wrong school. That is what old age will do. But they both started with a D. Just like Dumbass, me, LOL

 

[Gator By Marriage]

That's correct. My bad. Right group wrong school. That is what old age will do. But they both started with a D. Just like Dumbass, me, LOL

It also gets confusing because there is a Dunbar HS in DC that was a local power at the same time. DeMatha and Dunbar (DC) played for several city titles.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

And didn;t Maryland end up hiring another high school coach in Wade? How did that work out?

Yes. And Wade was the coach at Dunbar (Baltimore).
Lefty Driesell was who they picked instead of Wootten.

 

[alcoholica]

Interesting list of top 10 all-time HS teams

10 Greatest High School Basketball Teams of All Time

 

[FireFoley]

Yes. And Wade was the coach at Dunbar (Baltimore).
Lefty Driesell was who they picked instead of Wootten.

Lefty was a character and has some darn good teams at Maryland. In fact maybe the greatest college basketball game ever played was the ACC tourney championship in 1974 when NC State edged Maryland 103-100 in OT. Back then only the conference champs went to the NCAA tourney and that was the year the David Thompson, Tom Burleson, Monte Towe. Mo Rivers and Tim Stoddard (yes the Orioles pitcher) NC State team bested Maryland led by John Luca, Len Elmore, Tom McMillan, Mo Howard, et al. NC State went on to win the Nat'l Championship and Maryland might have been the second best team at that time and they were on the outside looking in.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Lefty was a character and has some darn good teams at Maryland. In fact maybe the greatest college basketball game ever played was the ACC tourney championship in 1974 when NC State edged Maryland 103-100 in OT. Back then only the conference champs went to the NCAA tourney and that was the year the David Thompson, Tom Burleson, Monte Towe. Mo Rivers and Tim Stoddard (yes the Orioles pitcher) NC State team bested Maryland led by John Luca, Len Elmore, Tom McMillan, Mo Howard, et al. NC State went on to win the Nat'l Championship and Maryland might have been the second best team at that time and they were on the outside looking in.

The Terps actually turned down an invitation to play in the NIT that year. Lefty left it up to the players and they voted no.