Lon Kruger of Oklahoma Named 2019 John R. Wooden Award Legends of Coaching Recipient



Lon Kruger of Oklahoma Named 2019 John R. Wooden Award Legends of Coaching Recipient

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 9, 2018) – Lon Kruger, University of Oklahoma Men’s Basketball Coach, will receive the John R. Wooden Award®’s “Legends of Coaching™” honor in 2019. Coach Wooden’s grandson-in-law Craig Impleman was proud to announce his selection at the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s annual Wooden Award Tip-Off Luncheon. The luncheon features the head coaches from the Division I men’s basketball programs in Southern California. The “Legends of Coaching” honor recognizes coaches who exemplify Coach Wooden’s high standard of coaching success and personal integrity.

The “Legends of Coaching” award was adopted by the Wooden Award Steering Committee in 1999. The honorees are selected based on character, success on the court, graduation rate of student-athletes in their basketball program, coaching philosophy, and identification with the goals of the John R. Wooden Award. Coach Kruger will be recognized during the Wooden Award Weekend April 11-13, 2019, as a part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s celebration of the greatest players and coaches in men’s and women’s college basketball. He will be awarded the honor during the 5th Annual ESPN College Basketball Awards on April 12, 2019.

 

Coach Kruger has 32 years of head coaching experience, including seven years as the head coach of the University of Oklahoma. He is the first Division I coach to take five different schools to the NCAA Tournament and the first to take four different programs to Sweet 16 or beyond. Kruger is the 33rd head coach to win 600 Division I games and currently ranks tenth among active coaches. His collegiate teams have made postseason appearances in 22 of the last 29 years, including 17 NCAA Tournaments, five Sweet 16s, and two Final Fours. Coach Kruger has coached two Wooden Award All Americans: Buddy Hield, who won the Wooden Award in 2016; and Trae Young in 2018.

 

While at Florida, Coach Kruger and his wife, Barbara, were honored with consecutive Community Service Awards from the Gainesville Community Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse, and in 1995 he was named the Gainesville (Fla.) Volunteer of the Year. From 1991-93, the couple served as co-chairpersons of Alachua County's Red Ribbon Campaign, a week-long program aimed at increasing awareness and promoting a drug-free environment for the community. Kruger was instrumental in starting the Coaches vs. Cancer's Las Vegas Classic, which has raised nearly $500,000 to benefit research, education and treatment programs for the Nevada Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. In 2018, he was named the council chair of Coaches vs. Cancer.

 

John R. Wooden Award

Legends of Coaching Honorees

 

2019       Lon Kruger, Oklahoma  

2018       Jay Wright, Villanova

2017       Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame

2016       Tubby Smith, Texas Tech

2015       Steve Fisher, San Diego State

2014       Tara VanDerveer, Stanford

2013       Bill Self, Kansas

2012       Geno Auriemma, Connecticut

2011       Tom Izzo, Michigan State

2010       Billy Donovan, Florida

2009       Rick Barnes, Texas

2008       Pat Summitt, Tennessee

2007       Gene Keady, Purdue

2006       Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

2005       Jim Calhoun, Connecticut

2004       Mike Montgomery, Stanford

2003       Roy Williams, Kansas

2002       Denny Crum, Louisville

2001       Lute Olson, Arizona

2000       Mike Krzyzewski, Duke

1999       Dean Smith, North Carolina

 

About the John R. Wooden Award

 

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best basketball player at an NCAA Division I university who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress towards graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), and last year’s recipients, A’ja Wilson of South Carolina and Jalen Brunson of Villanova.

 

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All-American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All-Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.

 

The Legends of Coaching Award will be presented during the 5th Annual ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s, which will take place on Friday, April 12, 2019. For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.

 


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  • Nelson Fahey
    commented 2024-08-12 19:20:56 -0700
    Coach Lon Kruger’s recognition with the John R. Wooden Award’s “Legends of Coaching” honor is truly well-deserved. His extensive coaching career and commitment to both his players and community reflect the same dedication and strategy you might appreciate in <a href=“”https://retrobowl-game.io/" rel="nofollow">https://retrobowl-game.io/">retro bowl</a>. Just as every play in Retro Bowl requires careful planning and execution, Coach Kruger’s achievements on and off the court highlight his exceptional ability to lead and inspire. His impact is a testament to the power of integrity and excellence in any field.

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