Jun 5, 2010 12:08:31 AM

John Wooden was a man of ethics, someone who could inspire and motivate, an icon for leaders everywhere.

Perhaps the most successful and beloved coach in NCAA history, Wooden died Friday evening at age 99.

His UCLA teams captured 10 Division I Men's Basketball Championships, including a streak of seven consecutive titles from 1967-73. Between 1971 and 1973, the Bruins tallied 88 consecutive victories, an NCAA record.

"On rare occasions," said NCAA Interim President Jim Isch, "individuals of superior character, visionary insight and quiet leadership enter our lives. Their mere presence pushes us to pursue excellence. John Wooden was one of those individuals. We knew him as coach, but he was proudest to be called teacher. Our lifetime has been enriched by his presence."

Known as an inspirational leader and advocate for his student-athletes, Wooden received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 2003. The medal was one of countless honors and awards bestowed on Wooden in his lifetime, including induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. He also was honored with the NCAA President's Gerald R. Ford Award in 2006 during the NCAA's Centennial Convention.

In addition to his endless pursuit of excellence, Wooden also a champion for fairness. When he coached at Indiana Teachers College (now Indiana State), he rejected a 1946 invitation to compete in the NAIA tournament because African-Americans were not allowed to play. When the group changed its policy the next year, Wooden's Sycamores accepted an invitation.

Born in Martinsville, Indiana, Wooden played basketball at Purdue. He coached high school basketball and taught English for several years before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II. A ruptured appendix kept him from his first assignment onboard ship, and his replacement was killed during a kamikaze attack in the Pacific.

Upon returning from war, Wooden accepted the coaching position at Indiana State, where he also coached baseball and served as athletics director while completing his master's degree in education. After a successful run with the Sycamores, Wooden accepted the job at UCLA in 1948 and held the position for more than 25 years.

His success at UCLA included 16 appearances in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. Off the court, he mentored dozens of players who went on to successful careers in basketball and elsewhere. After his retirement, Wooden put his English education to good use, writing inspirational books including "The Pyramid of Success" (based on the roles that faith and patience play in success), "Wooden on Leadership," and last year's "A Game Plan for Life." He also wrote the autobiographies "They Call me Coach" and "The Essential Wooden."

Wooden's wife Nell died in 1985 from cancer after the couple had been married 53 years.

Wooden is survived by a son, James Hugh, and a daughter, Nancy Anne, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.