Publish date:: May 24, 2011

Wooden Family Chooses IMG for Licensing and Endorsements Deal

It looks like there could be a whole new market for John Wooden memorabilia. The family of the late coaching legend has signed on with IMG for a licensing and endosement deal that will keep his name active in the hobby market for years to come. IMG is well known as the licensing agent for many deceased celebrities and sports figures.

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IMG Licensing, a division IMG Worldwide, announced it has signed with the family of legendary basketball coach John Wooden for licensing and endorsements.

Coach Wooden led UCLA to 10 NCAA National Championships in a 12-year period, including an unprecedented seven consecutive titles from 1967-1973. In addition, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games and 38 consecutive NCAA Tournament Games. He was named national coach of the year six times. As a player at Purdue University where he won a National Championship, Wooden was the first player ever to be named basketball All-American three times. He was also the first person to be named a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

According to an IMG press release, following an extremely competitive process, IMG Licensing was selected by the Wooden Family to manage endorsement, licensing and media opportunities. In other words, IMG represents the “right of publicity” of John Wooden, including his name, voice, likeness, image and signature. Additionally, the family has a plethora of videos, photos and other rare mementos that will be used in a unique collectible program.

“We are very excited to represent the family of Coach Wooden,” said Daniel Siegel, IMG's vice president of Licensing. “As a UCLA alum and long-time admirer of Coach Wooden, I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with his lovely family to preserve the Wooden brand and legacy.”

IMG Licensing will seek opportunities in traditional sports licensing categories, including memorabilia and apparel, and will work closely with IMG College to explore synergies with UCLA to carry on Coach Wooden’s connection to its storied basketball heritage.

”To me, John Wooden was the greatest coach of modern sport – not just college basketball. More than that, he was a wonderful person, teacher, mentor, husband, father and grandfather. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to know and spend some time with him. He inspired me and our team with both his example and his brilliance. All of us at IMG are humbled and proud to have the opportunity to be associated with his incredible legacy,” said Ben Sutton, president of IMG College, which also represents marketing interests of the UCLA Bruins.

IMG will also be developing the philosophies of Coach Wooden and his Pyramid of Success across film, television, and other forms of media.

Coach Wooden’s daughter Nan and son Jim added, “We are very pleased to have a company of IMG’s reputation working to expand the Wooden global brand. Our dad touched millions of people around the globe with his simple, direct approach to life and he has provided his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with a blueprint for success that we feel should be shared with as many people as possible.”