Jerry Norman (basketball)
Los Angeles, California ) | |
College |
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---|---|
Forward | |
Coaching career | 1956–1968 |
Career history | |
As coach: | |
1956–1957 | West Covina HS |
1957–1968 | UCLA (assistant) |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Jerry Norman (born 1929 or 1930)
Norman played basketball at UCLA and was co-
Early life
Norman attended Horace Mann Jr. High and
College career
In Norman's sophomore year in 1949–50, UCLA qualified for the NCAA tournament, the first in Coach John Wooden's career.[6] The following season, Norman was kicked off the team for two weeks after talking to a teammate during practice and not paying attention to Wooden.[6][7] Sheldrake, who was also friendly with Wooden, convinced the two to reconcile.[8] In 1951–52, Norman was co-captain of the team with fellow senior Don Johnson,[9][10] and the Bruins won the PCC title and qualified for the 1952 NCAA tournament.[11] Norman was unanimously selected first-team All-PCC.[12]
Professional career
After graduating in 1952,[13] Norman served 3+1⁄2 years in the Navy before teaching and coaching for a year at West Covina High, where Wooden's brother was the principal. In the fall of 1957, Norman returned to UCLA after accepting a teaching position in the physical education department.
According to sportswriter Seth Davis, author of Wooden: A Coach’s Life, Norman is deserving of more credit for Wooden's success than people generally attribute to him.[17] Wooden began coaching UCLA in 1948–49, but the Bruins never advanced past the first round of the NCAA tournament until after Norman was hired.[2][18] During the 1963–64 season, Norman convinced a reluctant Wooden to use the zone press, which the team had never utilized before.[1][2][19] The Bruins had employed a man-to-man press with some success in 1962–63, but it had been ineffective in their opening-game of the NCAA tournament—a 93–79 blowout loss to Arizona State.[20][21] Norman instead proposed a 2–2–1 full-court zone press,[22] which quickened the pace of the game and was influential in the first two national titles won by the Bruins, who were undersized.[1][23]
Norman was also UCLA's top
Prior to the 1967–68 season, Norman contemplated quitting. He had grown weary of the workload and stress, and lamented his pay.[29] His $14,000 salary was not sufficient to support his wife and children.[30] Wooden himself was making only $17,000, less than contemporaries such as Dean Smith, who was estimated to have been making $85,000 at the time.[3] Norman had been working part-time in the financial industry with friends, and was primed to transition full-time. Morgan convinced him to stay, but Norman warned that it would likely be his last season.[29] UCLA claimed their fourth national title in five seasons.[1] In a rout of Houston in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament,[1] Wooden credited Norman for devising the diamond-and-one defense that the Bruins used to contain Elvin Hayes, who was averaging 37.7 points per game but was held to only 10.[16][31] The win avenged an upset loss to the Cougars in The Game of the Century earlier in the season.[1][30] Wooden's four titles, each with Norman as his assistant, matched the then-record held by Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp.[16]
Morgan promised Norman that if he stayed, he would become the Bruins' head coach once Wooden retired, which ended up being seven years later.[2] “If he’d paid Coach [Wooden] $100,000 like he deserved, and if I had gotten $50,000 I would have stayed,” Norman said.[30][32] According to Morgan, Wooden never asked for a raise.[30] In his final year in 1975, Wooden's salary maxed out at $32,000,[3] and he finished his career with a record 10 national titles.[33] Upon leaving UCLA in 1968 after 11 seasons with the team,[32] Norman became a stockbroker, earning $60,000 in his first year. He enjoyed a successful business career and became a multi-millionaire.[2][30]
In 1986, Norman was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.[13]
Personal life
Norman and his wife, June, were married for 63 years. She died in 2014. Together, they had three children and four grandchildren.[30]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Crowe, Jerry (March 19, 2007). "This right-hand man could use a pat on back". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Chortkoff, Mitch (March 13, 2014). "What Might Have Been For UCLA Basketball". Culver City Observer. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Waldner, Mike (March 3, 2014). "Jerry Norman an overlooked figure in UCLA basketball". The Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ "Dan Ducich Grabs Helms Medal As Player of the Year For The Second Time" (PDF). la84.org. March 17, 1948. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ Soderburg, Wendy (October 1, 2010). "We Will Always Call Him Coach". UCLA Magazine. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 9780805092806. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c Wolff, Alexander (March 19, 2007). "Birth Of A Dynasty". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ Davis 2014, p. 124.
- ISBN 9780252095054. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ "2014–15 UCLA Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). UCLA Sports Information Office. 2014. p. 166. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ "UCLA Coach Gives Spirit Credit For Bruins' Success". The Fresno Bee. March 12, 1952. p. 8-B. Retrieved July 20, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "UCLA Sports Hall of Fame Will Induct 8 New Members". Los Angeles Times. May 8, 1986. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ Davis 2014, p. 160.
- ^ Davis 2014, p. 165.
- ^ a b c Esper, Dwain (March 25, 1968). "Bruins Hope Norman Stays". The Independent. Pasadena, California. p. 15. Retrieved July 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wooden: A Coach's Life". 750thegame.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ UCLA Sports Information Office 2014, pp. 95, 166.
- ^ Florence, Mal (June 2, 1994). "Don't Press It: New Wrinkle Was Norman's". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ Davis 2014, pp. 208–9, 213.
- ^ Smith 2013, pp. 44–5.
- ^ Lopresti, Mike (March 16, 2014). "Voices of Final Four: Gail Goodrich". NCAA.org. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ Whicker, Mark (March 8, 2014). "UCLA's first reign-drop". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015.
- ^ Whicker, Mark (August 21, 2013). "Former Bruin recalls when they were kings". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015.
- ^ "Recruiting Easy Chore For Wooden". Reading Eagle. AP. November 25, 1973. p. 71. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ Smith 2013, p. 70.
- ^ Apodaca, Patrice (March 21, 2014). "Let's pause and recall the influence of Jerry Norman". Daily Pilot. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ Erickson, Andrew (November 8, 2013). "Q&A: Sports history professor talks about UCLA's John Wooden". Daily Bruin. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ a b Davis 2014, p. 284.
- ^ a b c d e f Neworth, Jack (December 15, 2014). "In the Shadow of a Legend". Santa Monica Daily Press. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
- ^ Gasaway, John (June 7, 2010). "John Wooden's Century". Basketball Prospectus. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ a b "Norman Resigns UCLA Cage Post, Crum New Aide". Independent. Long Beach, California. May 28, 1968. p. C-3. Retrieved July 20, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Goldman, Tom (June 4, 2010). "Legendary UCLA Coach John Wooden Dies". NPR.org. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015.
External links
- College stats at Sports-Reference.com