Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award
Overview
About the Award:
- Named after Morgan Wootten, only coach who exclusively coached at the high school level enshrined into the Hall of Fame
- Purpose is to honor those who have had tremendous influence on the game and to provide a national stage to recognize them
- (2) awards to be presented: (1) for boys basketball and (1) for girls basketball
Criteria:
- Male or Female, Active or Retired
- College Graduate
- Coach of (4) year high school that adheres to national, state or league standards
- Minimum of (25) years of head coaching experience
Award Timeline:
- Nominations due by November 1st
- Finalists to be selected by December 1st
- Winners selected by January 2nd
- Winners announced at Hoophall Classic, Martin Luther King Day Weekend
- Awards Presented at McDonalds All-American Game, Late March
Current Selection Committee
- Van Coleman, HoopMasters, Iowa
- Tom Konchalski, HSBI, New York
- Bob Kanaby, Director, NFHS, Indiana
- Bob Gibbons, All Star Sports, North Carolina
- Boo Williams, Boo Williams Summer League, Virginia
- John Rhodes, Beach Ball Classic, South Carolina
- Tim McCormick, Versus
- Tim Stevens, Raleigh News and Observer, North Carolina
- Frank Burlison, Long Beach Press Telegram, California
- Howard Garfinkel, Five Star Basketball, New York
- Chris Lawlor, ESPN
- Doug Huff, Student Sports, West Virginia
- ve Krider, MaxPreps
- Donnie Wilkie, City of Palms Classic, Florida
- Morgan Wootten, DeMatha Catholic High School (Retired), Maryland
2008 AWARD WINNERS
Joseph Gallagher - St. John’s College High School - Washington D.C.
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Coach Gallagher began his coaching career in the Maui Marine Corps in 1945 before taking over at St. John’s College High School in Washington, DC in 1947. He would lead St. John’s from 1947 – 1991 playing against the best national and international competition, winning 870 games in 46 seasons at the helm. Coach Gallagher was named Washington Metropolitan Area Coach of the Year and Washington Catholic League Coach of the Year seven times each in his tenure. His teams won 12 Washington Catholic League Championships and one City Title in addition to being named to coach the McDonald’s All-American Game’s East Team and the Capitol City Classic three times. Additionally, he started the first day basketball camp in 1961and is a member of three Hall of Fames (Washington, DC, St. John’s College and George Washington University). Coach Gallagher was responsible for the hiring of Morgan Wootten and provided him with his first coaching opportunity before becoming legendary at DeMatha Catholic High School.
Jim Smiddy - Bradley Central High School - Cleveland, Tennessee
Jim Smiddy led Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tennessee for 44 seasons as head coach winning 1,217 games against 206 defeats. His teams won five state championships, two National Championships and had two back-to-back undefeated seasons totaling 90 consecutive wins. Additionally, coach Smiddy guided his teams to 24 District Championships, 17 Regional and 14 sub-state titles. He is the all-time winningest coach in girl’s high school basketball history and is an inductee of the National High School Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
INAUGURAL WINNERS
Jack Curran - Archbishop Molloy High School (NY)
This New York City High School Basketball Coaching Legend who replaced Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca at Archbishop Molloy High School is the inaugural winner of the Morgan Wootten Award for Boys High School Basketball. He has coached for nearly 50 years compiling almost 900 victories for this New York basketball power. His current list of alumni includes Kenny Anderson, Kenny Smith and more than 450 players that received college scholarships. He has guided teams to 21 Queens Divisional Championships, 14 Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan Championships as well as being named 22 times as Coach of the Year and has been enshrined into 9 Halls of Fame.
Leta Andrews - Granbury High School (TX)
The inaugural winner of the Morgan Wootten Award for Girls High School basketball hails from Granbury, Texas where she has coached more than 40 years of girls basketball. She has compiled more than 1,200 victories and has won numerous league, district, and regional tournaments in addition to the 1990 Texas State Championship. Her 1,200 victories is good for the most victories among female girls high school basketball coaches. She has been named by the Walt Disney Company as the 1993 Oustanding American Coach/Teacher of the Year, Coach of the Year in Texas 3 times and enshrinee of the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame.
05/16/2008
