BUFFALO, N.Y. – WNED-TV will present a special 90-minute feature on the inspiring life of Coach John Wooden.  “JOHN WOODEN: VALUES, VICTORY AND PEACE OF MIND” will air on Wednesday, March 23 at 10 p.m.

Sports Illustrated once observed: “There has never been a finer coach in American sports than John Wooden. Nor a finer man.”  His legacy and lessons will continue to inform and inspire in this award-winning PBS presentation, narrated by Beau Bridges.

While admired for his record-setting UCLA basketball dynasty - 10 national March Madness championships including seven in consecutive seasons - the legendary coach believed his greater accomplishment was teaching a practical and personal philosophy for success that transcends sports.  

During Coach Wooden’s extraordinary presentation, taped live in front of an audience at UCLA’s John R. Wooden Center, he shares the origins, logic and evolution of the Pyramid of Success.  This includes his radical definition of success itself: peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.

Described as a man with an unshakable moral compass, Coach Wooden believed and taught that an individual or team can achieve greatness without compromising principles, lowering standards or breaking the rules. Early in his career, Mr. Wooden created a powerful performance guide to show how this is done. Much like its creator, that guide - The Pyramid of Success - became legendary. Included in the program are revealing observations by UCLA and NBA superstars Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson. While valuable, they are a secondary element to the program’s main attraction: Coach John Wooden at his personal best sharing his common sense philosophy for achieving success throughout life.  

Through WNED-TV, ThinkBright and Well TV, Classical 94.5/WNED-FM and WNED-AM 970 The Information Station, the member-supported WNED Buffalo/Toronto provides high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate Western New York and Southern Ontario communities. Additional information about WNED can be found at wned.org.