Coach's Den Opening Later This Month

It opens later this month at the Morgan Center. From the official site:

In the months following Coach Wooden's passing, his children, Jim and Nan, faced the impossible task of trying to accommodate everyone who had requested items from their father's life. His alma mater, Purdue, received a number of items, as did Indiana State, where he coached and earned his master's degree in Education. His hometown of Martinsville, Ind. was also entrusted with several keepsakes to display. But in the end, the family insisted that UCLA was at the forefront.

"We shipped things to a number of places, but UCLA is where he spent most of his time," says Nan, who had final approval on the room's authenticity. "We really wanted them to have the den. I think they did a great job on it."

UCLA athletic trainer Tony Spino, a longtime friend of Coach Wooden as well as his primary caregiver the last several years, summed up the exhibit best.

"The only thing missing is Coach," he says.

Not really Tony. Coach is with us forever.

Per the official site the the Den will feature "everything" from numerous awards and medals to arts and crafts given to Coach by his grandchildren. The exhibit is an exact replica of Coach's Encino condominium den where he spent a majority of his post-UCLA years after retiring in 1975.  It was Nell who decorated the office and it served as Coach's place of work more than 30 years. It's where he answered thousands and thousands of fan mail, did those amazing interviews and entertained friends and family.

Thanks from everyone here at Bruin Nation to Coach's family for being so kind and gracious for sharing a part of him with rest of us.

GO BRUINS.