Coach John Wooden makes Bill Walton get a haircut

The famous story of Coach John Wooden telling Bill Walton that he had to get a haircut or he'd be off the team.

[@redmustangredmustang]

I am so glad that Coach Wooden lived so long and we had him here on earth for so long. 99 years is a long time.

[@andybilakshow260]

99 years isn't a long time to say someone 98🤭

[@jrzy49]

So awesome that Bill Walton is around to tell people about Coach Wooden- the best coach in the history of sports.

[@johnpinero6085]

Vince Lombardi

[@johnpinero6085]

Vince Lombardi

[@ramonazteca252]

i defy anyone to find a coach that had more respect from their players than john wooden. he's had more players achieve "success" than any other coach i can think of. he not only talked, but he walked the talk.

[@MultiEviscerator]

RIP Bill, and thanks for not only sharing this story, but having enough respect to abide by your coaches rules to play for him.

[@tomcat7843]

I am a Kentucky fan and I think of John Woodwon as the Class Act of coaches, true Leaders and human beings

[@wilber132]

john wooden rest in peace the world of basketball will miss u

[@tipdub]

"we're gonna miss you!" haha this brought a smile to my face. :D

[@LogicMind99]

Imagine a coach from any sport saying that to their best player…that alone shows you the character of who John Wooden was, that’s the epitome of the word “coach”

[@kevincummings4120]

Unfortunately today the star would say I'm hitting the portal

[@romanclay1913]

In 1972 at UCLA, we students demonstrated against Nixon’s Vietnam War by first occupying the Franklin Murphy Administration Building and then had a mass sit-down demonstration at the intersection of Wilshire and Veteran. Bill Walton was always there standing up for what he believed in. Thank you BW.

[@constitutionprotector3130]

Don’t forget it was also that shining example LBJs war too. Of course he started it to enrich himself.

[@whodidit99]

"we're gonna miss you Bill" One of the great Wooden quotes.

[@andybilakshow260]

That's how you obtain respect. Stick to your guns. I understand Larry Bird was exactly the same way when he coached. "Listen to your coach or hit the road"

[@wegotlumpsofitroundtheback5065]

I use my favorite Coach Wooden quote on my kids when they complain about studying for exams and on my co-workers when getting reading to present to our CEO: "Failing to prepare is preparing for failure."

[@Morongobill]

Coach reminded me of a kind but firm grandfather in this video.

[@BrewMoe]

My favorite Coach Wooden story is how he would lecture his players on how to tie their shoes. Seems nuts but you can't argue with his results.

[@t.b.player7102]

Its all about discipline, something so lacking today. If you haven't, read all the books you can about John Wooden. Not just a great coach, not just a great life teacher, but one of the greatest, most caring human beings around. You'd be hard pressed to find any former player that hated him. Hell, even Kareem loved him.

[@TheBigdave62]

Great man, and he had his rules- and absolutely would not forsake them for anyone.

[@mc76]

He did for Sam Gilbert.

[@us-Bahn]

You can fight Coach on the impertinence of these rules if you’d like. But if you go around shaggy, unshaven, unbathed, unlaundered and chewing gum or tobacco, the world at large has its own way of sorting you out.

[@howelliiithurston8688]

Absolutely wonderful story. Should be the s.o.p. for EVERY sporting program all across america I watch basketball today and am not sure If i am watching an 80s heavy metal concert or a sport.

[@joetrapp9187]

Walton’s interview of Wooden a year or two before he died was awesome. Someone should post that one!

[@b1crusade384]

1:44 if you are a 13th player on a 12-man team, you can worry about a coach keeping you on a bench. If you are a star, call the bluff. The coach needs you to win so will not bench you for long.

[@PebblesOx]

RIP BILL 😢

[@allencampbell8322]

Bill Walton was fantastic

[@TheSuspect28]

wooden got some giant ears rip wooden - one of the greatest of all time

[@natalliaf6387]

I think everyone aged 80+ has those ears.

[@raywilkes5046]

Coach Wooden probably sounds "old school" to kids today. 10 National Championships and .804 winning percentage. Maybe his rules were not "old school" but they were "the right school". He was a class act and demanded his players display the same class.

[@showme443]

RIP!!!

[@oliverspalding8426]

Great story!

[@ramonazteca252]

john wooden knew how to lead.

[@whodidit99]

Wooden had the lucky penny routine in which he would pretend to find a lucky penny in the locker. Bill knew it was coming so he hid it, and had a good laugh watching Coach search for the missing penny. Don't know when Coach Wooden found out it was Bill who hid the penny.

[@Gregory-sm9pf]

Imagine a coach asking players this today

[@gr8dvd]

Player would complain to AD & coach would be fired.

[@Gregory-sm9pf]

@@gr8dvd oh yeah

[@briansd2772]

I hated seeing this stuck on 199 likes after 10 years so I gave you a thumbs up!

[@franciz6713]

One haircut changes your life

[@andybilakshow260]

The typical rebellious college kids. Of course, Walton in the middle of the mix.

[@rubbersole79]

This is how you get respect. Are you listening history?

[@youcantlookaway.9077]

14 minutes

[@lazysob2328]

Oh I guarantee he noticed!

[@mikepipkins7363]

@805Bruin can u please post the entire documentary ?

[@RickSeraf]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmHKlpesrdSJm6c

[@duanejones8352]

Wooden was navy veteran .

[@michaele9351]

Why would you not play a player because he didn’t get a haircut? Lol

[@Johnoftheshire]

If you have to have it explained to you, you wouldn’t understand Lol

[@KClouisville]

Because Wooden was from another era where they thought nonsense like that worked. Believe me, a coach can be just as hard a taskmaster and teach discipline to a player with long hair or an afro. Wooden was a great coach, but I sometimes can't take the often smug, pious "morality" that surrounds his image. He was there when UCLA was probably one of the most crookedly run athletic programs in the country. Even Walton, who reveres the guy, once joked that he took a paycut going from UCLA to the NBA.

[@scottlevison7994]

Heard that Wooden turned down NBA jobs because he knew he couldn't make players shave.

[@lincolnprojectnemesis3253]

​@@Johnoftheshireain't that the truth! Today we have narcissistic players that only represent themselves without regard for any standard, the team or the community. Coaches bent to demands and this is what we ended up with

[@martymar74]

Typical post-war coach with the strict discipline

[@MsOpus1]

funny :D ...but, wow

[@cfinnoe]

from what documentary is this from?

[@j.l.5935]

No captions?

[@karloffb]

sho abd tell

[@davidgrace2951]

Did Sam Gilbert pay for the haircuts too?

[@biglo9889]

did sam gilbert hit the free throws and make the shots and play full court press the whole game? hahahaha lol. Hater

[@JBBC59]

What tune is that playing at the end of this clip?

[@davidquintanilla3267]

Where is this from

[@805Bruin]

@kobedk24 The UCLA Dynasty (HBO)

[@Ariamaluum]

It's always who didn't fight in wars put an emphasis on hair and beards while the guys who fought in wars like a Yogi Berra or Ralph Houk didn't care how they looked.

[@RS-tz2zn]

+Davan Mani Wooden was a Naval WWII vet

[@Ariamaluum]

+Ryan Shaffer I know. I read the book. Some kind of sickness prevented him from fighting.

[@RS-tz2zn]

Davan Mani You stated "the guys who fought in wars"...most people take that to mean those that served in a military during a war, which Wooden did serve in the military during WWII for three years and reached the rank of lieutenant. As far as the rest of your comment about splitting hairs on those fighting on the front lines, I don't know of many people in sports (regardless of military background) who enforced grooming (only Wooden and Steinbrenner come to mind). It doesn't seem to me that the fact of serving in the military at all or not makes any difference on grooming enforcement. Also, note that your examples of Berra and Houk were both clean shaven and fairly well kept. So, whether or not they forced others, they observed good grooming themselves (probably due to their military backgrounds).

[@Ariamaluum]

+Ryan Shaffer Houk fought hand to hand in the Pacific and Yogi in D-Day. They had one rule, show up on time.

[@RS-tz2zn]

Davan Mani"Houk fought hand to hand in the Pacific and Yogi in D-Day. They had one rule, show up on time." And...your point?? Like I said they were both clean shaven and well kept and other than Steinbrenner (who didn't even serve) I can't think of anyone else in sports that even enforced grooming standards. Who are all of these others who didn't fight in wars put an emphasis on hair and beards???

[@douglascrosby5100]

Sounds great to me we need more discipline and clean cut appearances within the male world as the left-wing seeks to make all men feminine we need to be more masculine. There's a great unclean spirit in the world may we stand against it. Sounds like a great coach!

[@johnpinero6085]

This is what Yankees need! Discipline!

[@b1crusade384]

Nonsense. They could have had worn their hair however they liked. Never be afraid to tell delusional people no.

[@nedkline886]

i never liked bill walton. i loved john wooden.

[@oliverspalding8426]

Never liked Bill Walton, why the hell not?

[@johnroberts8061]

@@oliverspalding8426 No kidding, Bill Walton is a treasure! Love love love

[@Johnoftheshire]

I can’t think of two people more different from each other in temperament and true, enduring wisdom than Coach John Wooden and Bill Walton. I have always believed that Coach wouldn’t have minded a bit if Walton had quit.

[@RoofDoctorsJoanne]

John Wooden cared about hair cuts? What about Sam Gilbert payments?