Morgan B. Wootten

Coaching success is synonymous with the name Morgan Wootten. No other coach in basketball history combined a love for the game with a passion for coaching youngsters more than Wootten. In over forty years of coaching at legendary DeMatha High School, Wootten won more than 1,200 games and was the most successful high school coach in basketball at the time of his retirement in 2002. His 1,274 wins stood as a highwater mark across all levels. Wootten led DeMatha to the mythical national championship in 1962, 1965, 1968, 1978, and 1984. The 1965 DeMatha team broke the 71-game winning streak of Lew Alcindor's Power Memorial team. Recording over 40 consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins, his teams won more than 30 conference championships. And to Wootten’s credit, DeMatha finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Washington, D.C. area more than 20 times. A dedicated educator, more than 150 of Wootten's former players went on to play college basketball, while a dozen played in the NBA. More than 20 of his former coaches or players coached at the high school, collegiate, or professional level. He is the namesake for the Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award presented annually to a high school boys and girls coach.