By KIM CALVERT Special to the Daily Press
John McMullen likes to joke that he was born with a basketball in his hand.
The recently retired 65-year-old coach of Santa Monica College’s Corsairs basketball team racked up 529 wins during his quarter-century coaching tenure at SMC — an impressive record considering only a few coaches in the nation have achieved more than 500.
McMullen, soon to be inducted into the California Community College Basketball Association’s Hall of Fame, was recently honored at a reunion party where 45 of his former students, some from as far back as 1978, returned to pay tribute to the man who not only led them to victories on the court, but taught them to be better men.
“They needed to understand the consequences of their actions,” McMullen said, adding that many of his students were at the crossroads of their lives — just out of high school and uncertain about how to make the transition to adulthood.
“When you’re coaching them on a daily basis, you have an opportunity to point things out,” he said. “It’s a lot more than playing basketball. You would think you’d run out of things to say to them, but you don’t.”
McMullen, who still teaches physical-education classes at SMC, recently sat down with the Santa Monica Daily Press to talk about winning, losing, the pursuit of excellence and making a difference in his student’s lives.
Tell us a little bit about your background. Where did you grow up?
“I was born in Kansas. I have three brothers and a sister. I’m number four of five kids.
“We moved to Los Angeles when I was 14. I went to Uni (University) High School, and then we moved to Reseda.
“After high school I went to Pierce College and then transferred to Cal State Northridge, where I got my degree in physical education and health science. I played basketball all through school and knew I wanted to be a coach since high school.”
When did you start your coaching career?
“My first job was at a Saint Genevieve, a small Catholic school in Panorama City. Then I moved to Thousand Oaks High School as a JV coach. Then I went to Camarillo High School from 1968 to 1975. After that, I was an assistant coach at BYU for three years. I came back to Los Angeles in 1978 and started working at SMC. I’ve been here ever since.”
Did you ever marry? Have any kids? “I have two sons who are now 30 and 28. One graduated from UCLA, the other from the University of Hawaii. Both are in real estate. Both were good high school players, but their mother’s not very tall, so they didn’t grow up to be very tall either.
“I’m divorced from my first wife and have been remarried for almost seven years. My wife, Cathy, is an assistant superintendent for the Glendale Unified School District.”
You said you played basketball all through school. Were you a champion player?
“No, I was just an average player. The best way to describe myself was that I was good enough to play a lot, but not good enough to play all the time. I spent as much time on the bench as I did on the floor. In a way, that helped me to become a better coach because I knew what it was like to be in both places.
“I think sometimes the guys that are the stars of a team have high expectations of others when they start coaching — compared to those who have had time to sit back and analyze the game as a nonstarter or a non-player. I learned a lot of about what not to do while I was sitting on the bench.”
What is it about the game of basketball that appeals to you?
“I just love the game. Loved it since I was a little kid. I’ve always thought that basketball athletes do some incredible things. It’s a combination of athleticism and intellect — the chemistry of five guys working together — I compare it to a dance. It has a certain flow to it. When you see it played well, it’s so enjoyable to watch.”
Has the game changed over the years? “It has changed because of the money, fame and glory that are involved now. Players quit college to become professionals. I think a lot of players play for money rather than a love for the game. It takes a little time and effort to convince players to play for the love of the game rather than their own selfish reasons.”
“Bad boy” players, such as Dennis Rodman — what are people like that doing to basketball?
“I think it’s too bad that when it comes to what’s reported in the media, the bad players overshadow the good ones. You never hear about the 98 percent who are doing the right thing. It’s a shame that somebody like Rodman gets more notoriety than someone like Steve Kerr who also plays for the Chicago Bulls. Kerr is a local Palisades product and has just been an exemplary athlete. He’s out there doing a great job. It’s too bad people like that don’t get the recognition instead of the Dennis Rodmans of the world.”
Are you a fan of any particular professional team?
“No, not really. I’ve always supported the local team — the Lakers. In my younger days I have to admit I was a tremendous Boston Celtics fan.”
Have you ever experienced any kind of conflict between what you were trying to achieve, a champion basketball team, and your colleagues from the academic side of the fence?
“I’ve always tried to work with the academia. It’s always been an emphasis of mine to help players grow. Part of that growth means they have to study, go to classes and work towards a degree. I’ve never had a problem with that. I take pride that a great many of the players I’ve coached have graduated from SMC or gone on to attend a four-year college.”
Are the kids that are good in sports often not so good at getting good grades?
“As a community college, we accept anyone who’s 18 years or older. It doesn’t matter what their grades were in high school. The beauty of the community-college system is that it’s open to everyone. If we can bring in athletes that haven’t had academic success in high school and help them to take a step in the right direction, then that’s what the community-college system is all about.
“The community college has a different role than the four-year university. When you get players who were in remedial classes, then they come here and get to the point where they can transfer to a university, that’s a big step for them.
“We take their interest in sports and then use that interest to motivate them to do better in their studies. That’s how it worked in my life. It was my love of the game that motivated me to stay in college, to transfer from a junior college to a university and get my degree.”
You’ve had an extraordinary win record, yet you’ve stayed here for 25 years. Have you gotten some good offers from other colleges over the years?
“Well, a few. But it involved moving. To be honest, I was very comfortable here — living here, raising my sons here. I did-n’t want to move. I wanted to stay in California. I decided to stay here, and it’s funny how the years just add up over time. Next thing you know, it’s been 25 years.”
What do you think of Santa Monica? “I enjoy the area tremendously. I like its diversity — both the city of Santa Monica and the college itself. We have students from all walks of life. To see them come to a place like this, mingle and interact, with very few problems in terms of culture or race, is one of the beauties of this whole area.”
Is there anything about Santa Monica that gets on your nerves?
“Well, just like everyone else, I wish there was an answer to the homeless situation. I have empathy for them, but I wish there was a way to avoid having them sleep on the streets.”
You’re used to winning — it’s happened a lot for you. But what about those times when you lose?
“Well, it’s difficult. You just dig in and try to get to the next game. There are always a few losses that stick in your mind. You might wake up in the middle of the night thinking, ‘Oh, I should have done this or I should have done that.’
“But I always preached consistency to my players in terms of their mental approach. I told them they needed to maintain an even temperament. If you get too high, you’re going to have a deep low. If you get too low, it’s going to be hard to reach up. You have to accept the good with the bad. Losses happen. It’s really about not letting one loss lead you to another. So I think consistency and an even temperament is the key.”
Is that a philosophy that you have for life in general?
“I think so. That was instilled in me from a young age. Do you best and count your blessings because there are always people in worse shape than you.”
You recently had a big reunion party with a lot of your old students coming back to see you. What was that like?
“It was an idea I had. When you’re coaching you’re always thinking about the team you have now and the next game, the next season. Once I decided it was time to stop coaching, I thought it would be nice to get as many guys together as possible. I’ve lost track of a lot of them, but some have been staying in touch over the years.
“It was great. We had an alumni game. About 18 guys played. We put the pre-’95 players against the post-’95 players and ended up in an overtime game. I had three players from my first team from 1978. I think there were about 45 altogether. I’d like to do it again next year.”
Is there something about team sports that creates that kind of bond between people?
“Well, you spend all that time together. You play all those games — have wins and losses. You do develop a bond in the process. We had some great teams with some great runs. Those guys remember that — they remember what it took to put that together.”
Did the reunion with your students give you any regrets about retiring as a coach?
“It did make me miss it. I miss the daily interaction with my team, the intensity of preparing for a season, for a game, for practice. The passion that’s involved in every waking moment where you’re looking forward to what’s coming next.
“But the things I don’t miss are things like recruiting — that gets tiresome — and certain attitudes that you have to stay on top of in order to bring a team around. There’s a lot to do to get a team through a season. There are the little things too, like driving the van to Bakersfield.
“I still teach classes full time, but that’s not the same as taking a team home with you every night or going to games two or three times a week, plus summer workouts. I enjoy teaching — I teach basketball, I teach tennis, I teach fitness — I enjoy helping those students improve. But I don’t work with them on a daily basis like I did when I was coaching a team.
“But it was time to be done. Plus there are other things I want to do. My wife and I like to travel, I like to play golf, and there are a lot of good books I’d like to read, and biking, hiking…”
Are good players born or made? “There are a few who are exceptional from the beginning but most, at least at the junior-college level, need quite a bit of instruction and a lot of fundamental practice — a lot of fundamental drills. When you recruit, you want to get the best talent you can, and at a community college, we look for the best talent in people that maybe don’t have the grades they need to go directly into a four-year college. You get a good share of those guys, and then we try to help them get to the next level.”
Any especially rewarding experiences? Pinnacles of your career here?
“I guess the teams that have gone on to the state championship tournament. There have been six of those. That’s what your goal is — to win the state championship — although we never did. We were in the final tournament six times, had some losses in overtime. Those are the ones you lose sleep over.
“But the kinds of highlights you enjoy are the teams that went 32 and 3 — one team won 27 in a row. I’ve had two players who became State Players of the Year, and there have been some great games with tremendous finishes where we pulled things out at the end.”
Advice for kids that hope to play college basketball?
“In my opinion, they should play for the love of the game. The younger kids just need to get into a situation where they can play and have fun. I have a little bit of a problem with over-emphasizing leagues at a young age. It’s too bad people can’t just go out and play half-court basketball like we used to. Now everything has to be so organized, there has to be teams.”
Advice for parents? “Don’t push too hard. If your kids feel like they want to play don’t push them too hard. But on the other hand, shy kids may need to be encouraged.”
Could you ever be persuaded to return to coaching?
“This year of not coaching has been an interesting year. I have gone through some withdrawals. I watch college games, see former students play. If an opportunity came where I could use my experience to help someone, it might be something I would consider doing.
“Consulting could be good. When I watch those games I see things — I wish I could say things — wish I could get my hands on things. I find myself teaching my classes with a little more fervor — I guess that’s part of my make-up. Coaching to me is the pinnacle of teaching. To help someone focus on a goal and see them achieve success is tremendously rewarding.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 14, 2005. Read the original PDF.