The Legends of Coaching Award was adopted by the John R.Wooden Award Committee in 1999. North Carolina’s Dean Smith was the first recipient of the award in 1999, followed by Duke University’s Mike Krzyzewski in 2000, the University of Arizona’s Lute Olson in 2001, the University of Louisville’s Denny Crum in 2002, the University of North Carolina’s Roy Williams (was coaching at the University of Kansas when he received the award), in 2004 from Stanford University, Mike Montgomery, the University of Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun and the latest addition from the University of South Carolina, Dawn Staley.

The Award recognizes the lifetime achievement of coaches who exemplify Coach Wooden’s high standards of coaching success and personal achievement. When selecting the individual, the Wooden Award Committee considers a coach’s character, success rate on the court, graduating rate of student athletes, his coaching philosophy and his identification with the goals of the John R. Wooden Award.

Legends of Coaching Recipients

• 2024 Recipient - John Calipari, University of Kentucky
• 2023 Recipient - Dawn Staley, University of South Carolina
• 2022 Recipient - Rick Byrd, Belmont University
• 2021 Recipient - Dave Yanai, Cal State Dominguez Hills/Los Angeles
• 2020 Recipient - C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers University
• 2019 Recipient - Lon Kruger, University of Oklahoma
• 2018 Recipient - Jay Wright, Villanova University
• 2017 Recipient - Muffet McGraw, University of Notre Dame
• 2016 Recipient – Tubby Smith, Texas Tech University
• 2015 Recipient - Steve Fisher, San Diego State University
• 2014 Recipient – Tara Vanderveer, Stanford University
• 2013 Recipient – Bill Self, University of Kansas
• 2012 Recipient – Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut
• 2011 Recipient – Tom Izzo, Michigan State University
• 2010 Recipient – Billy Donovan, University of Florida
• 2009 Recipient – Rick Barnes, University of Texas
• 2008 Recipient – Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee
• 2007 Recipient – Gene Keady, Purdue University
• 2006 Recipient – Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University
• 2005 Recipient – Jim Calhoun, University of Connecticut
• 2004 Recipient – Mike Montgomery, Stanford University
• 2003 Recipient – Roy Williams, University of Kansas
• 2002 Recipient – Denny Crum, University of Louisville
• 2001 Recipient – Lute Olson, University of Arizona
• 2000 Recipient – Mike Kryzyzewski, Duke University
• 1999 Recipient – Dean Smith, University of North Carolina