Skip to content

Watch the most recent episode from Front Row with Coach Mark Gottfried

Click Here

Jim Harrick: Stories and Life Lessons From UCLA Coaching Legend

1995 NCAA national championship coach joins Coach Gottfried and looks back on his journey from his roots in West Virginia to becoming the head coach at UCLA. Coach Harrick talks about his relationship with the legendary John Wooden, and lessons learned from over 40 years as a college basketball coach.

Play

Time: 0:59

10% 20% 70%

Play

Time: 1:20

Life in the slow lane

Play

Time: 0:59

Battling with Arizona

Play

Time: 1:00

Coach's Question

Coach Mark Gottfried and Jim Harrick:

1:28 – Cousin from West Virginia influenced Jim’s move to California.

4:10 – “Coach Wooden recommended me to Utah State and became a college coach.”

6:59 – Chose to stay in Los Angeles and coached at Pepperdine and succeeded greatly. 

10:15 – Young coach asks about loneliness in coaching.

16:03 – Mark Gottfried becomes graduate assistant at UCLA.

19:12 – Reflecting on UCLA’s 1995 championship win and team performance.

20:16 – Poor start led to eventual victory.

26:00 – Intense rivalry between UCLA and Arizona in the 90s.

28:59 – Conversations about coaching with John Wooden and successors.

31:56 – Disregarding fan expectations and prioritizing basketball performance.

34:09 – Coach valued diverse approaches and perspectives.

38:29 – Facing adversity with a positive attitude is truly inspiring!

40:45 – Acknowledging the struggle and finding inner strength.

46:44 – In 1988, Coach Gottfried was hired as assistant coach at UCLA.

48:04 – Kobe Bryant’s work ethic and coaching philosophy.

53:34 – Emphasizing communication and good values for future success.

54:17 – Important to demonstrate strong work ethic to kids.

Subscribe to Podcast