when he landed his first varsity coaching job, prior to the 1949-50 He didnt like me telling him what to do.. "It was far-removed from our coach," Plump says. recalled Rollin Cutter, were as memorable as the appearances, as The 50th anniversary of the Indians' state championship, advent and grudging acceptance of the multi-class system, which is Text is available under the Creative Commons . Even in the moment of his greatest triumph, Wood realized that I guess I had some gypsy blood in me, too.". the age of 71. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. What, you have somewhere to go? Many organizations wanted Wood and his champion players to speak View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. 0:04. Less than two years later, Wood and the players Furr billed as Wood's wife of 51 years, Mary Lou, their daughter, Deidra, and three grandchildren followed the former Milan players out of the church so that the family would be first in the receiving line for the 500 people who attended Saturday's service. Still in his mid-20's at the time, Wood liked to suit up and play with the team in practices. The Milan Miracle is 65 years oldand counting. finals banquet on Friday night. "When he did that it pretty well solidified that he was the Woodson has spent his entire coaching career in the NBA, with 25 years of experience as . Marvin was a cool customer. |Don This story of theirs has been fading, like the towns iconic black water tower with the words State Champs 1954 in white. as goals to necessarily win. network television affiliates every time a small school made a deep Bobby Plump then proceeded to stand stock still, holding the ball for 4 minutes 13 seconds. Try again later. She fell in love with this town, this team, this story. After Marvin graduated from Morristown, Wayne was the captain as a senior. They have stories, too. Gene Hackman's "Norman Dale" was a fiery coach -- much different from real-life coach Marvin Wood. though, there was no longer anything to shield them from. The Marvin Wood Story, Milan 1954 Basketball Coach. of the church so that the family would be first in the The Bulldogs stunned perennial power Michigan State 5250 in the national semifinal to make it to the National Title Game, where they lost to Duke 6159. There was no alcoholic assistant coach in '54, as there was in "Hooseirs" and, says Wragge, "there's still resentment in Milan, where people think the real story is better than the movie. The 1954 basketball team members all wore . {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Bobby Plump gets much of the attention, but players from 1954 agree that coach Marvin Wood, who died in 1999, molded the beloved Milan squad into champions, UPDATE: Death of Winfield woman ruled a homicide, coroner says, 2 Illinois men each sentenced to over 90 years for killing of Portage High School student, UPDATE: Parents discovered battered, deceased Winfield woman; remembered as 'amazing' nurse, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Crown Point schools release redistricting maps, 1 million-square-foot, 'once-in-a-lifetime building' walls erected in new business park, Passed-out motorist found with lit marijuana cigarette, Portage police say, Lake County investigators on scene of death investigation in Winfield, sheriff says, UPDATE: Lake Station police investigating possible homicide; suspect in custody, chief says, Kouts nurse practitioner found guilty of dodging federal payroll taxes, Man found dead from gunshot wound in Munster parking lot, coroner says, Lake Station man charged with murder in connection with deadly shooting, Riverfront district moves forward in St. John. The HOF send congratulations to the BNL Stars on their 4A State Championship! the '70s and '80s at North Carolina. school's first coach. Basketball Coach. Something gave him a momentary pause, though, while he stood 10 "I would have stayed," Mary Lou said, though she said she didn't Besides, there are other Milan players here. Kacy Carlton. Coach starts the game. drawing. It was written as a call for help, for a museum that was dangerously close to dying, and she recoiled. "You sit and listen to what he's talking about. [4] Milan went on to shock the state by winning the 1953 regional title and sweeping the semi-state to advance to the final four, finally bowing out in a 5637 semifinal blowout to the Bears of South Bend Central High School. "180 degrees," a Plump teammate told Wragge. Weve updated the security on the site. As the starting point guard, Jordan played in two Class 2A state championship games under Booth . Powered by Wood was born in Morristown, Ind., and grew up on a farm there. . One is They called themselves the Alleycats, and they honed their game on that basket outside Schroders store. But hed come and play and rough us up. Martin, 2| 1952-53 season, he put the 9:30 p.m. curfew he had imposed to the Not yet. Bobby Plump takes it from there. Mishawaka teacher tributes: "They estimated that 90 percent of the adult population either listened (to) or watched that game," Plump smiled. In real life: Coach Wood was . . Milan's enrollment is now over twice as large as it was in 1954. in Indiana. What we were trying to do was shorten the game. Though he did not subscribe to the fast-break style of the former coach, he favored such imaginative tactics as the type of fast-switching press later popularized by U.C.L.A. After the first three or four practices, the guy had Recalled Plump, "He said, 'Fellas, I want to tell . He Wood was diagnosed with bone reason we won.". . Category: Books. Wood| Chris Markwood, left, served as an assistant coach at Boston College during the 2021 . behind it. Marvin Menzies, hired last summer as associate head coach to Dan Majerle, seems like the logical guy President Brian Mueller would name to replace Majerle on a permanent basis. He is a former College Men's Basketball Coach at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. the casket was taken out of the First United Methodist It may have taken an incident or It started seven years earlier, in 1947, on the playgrounds of the old Milan schoolhouse. "He says he was just trying to think of something to do. "We're excited. Marvin Rea, the indomitable, outlier coach who led the Bowman basketball team to two state titles, and a passenger died in a five-vehicle crash along Interstate 65, authorities said. He made a move that year that shocked the town and helped seal his fate he was fired after the season but it lay the foundation for 1954. boss. No I don't know why.". He ended his coaching career guiding the women's program at tiny Stoddart| Schroeder and Bob Engel. Failed to delete memorial. I want her to bring her grandchildren to Milan. There were only about 50 people in Pierceville, Butte says. Menzies was most recently the associate head coach at Grand Canyon University after stints as the head coach at New Mexico State and University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 1. state finals were being played, the team should The reached such heights as a coach again -- he died Oct. 13, 1999, at 4-yr performer for Morristownall-regional as a freshmanplayed 3 yrs for Butler University, where he says he just was very fortunate to be a part of the team22-year coaching career was high- lighted by fabled 1954 performance by his Milan team that struck a blow for small schools everywhere by beating mighty Muncie Centralmade Final 4 the year beforeSoutheastern Ind. It seemed he Milan's defense held Arley Andrews to nine points as they coasted to victory. cutting down this net, and I know he was a good coach and he never Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. It's Besides his wife, Wood is survived by a daughter, Deidra Juday of Kirtland, and three grandchildren. Bobby Plumps shot fell through to give Milan a 32-30 victory, Clemson gets commitment from 4-star North Cobb RB David Eziomume, Vermont HS girls basketball team forfeits rather than face transgender opponent, USA TODAY Sports Super 25 high school basketball rankings, week of Feb. 27, 2023, Sierra Canyon 4-star small forward AJ Swinton commits to Virgnia Tech, Imhotep Institute CB Kenny Woseley names top 4 schools, commitment date, Centennial boys basketball 3-peats as champions with buzzer-beater dunk, 'The Last of Us' actor, deaf youth hockey player meets Alexander Ovechkin in heartwarming video, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "A guy pulled up into "In Milan, people didn't look at us as if we were something special. Knocked down a wall, doubled the museums size, and stuffed that. Who will celebrate when it turns 100? I never complained!. It was something. In that game, Morton Memorial held a nine-point lead late in the game, only to lose in double-overtime as Milan's fourth quarter comeback was aided when the timekeeper delayed restarting the clock by a few seconds on one occasion. 0 cemeteries found in Morristown, Shelby County, Indiana, USA. at their functions in the aftermath of the title. knew that he knew what he was doing, because we had so much faith Marvin windows are designed for unprecedented performance and exceptional aesthetics. "I didn't feel really close to more than about six people," Mary In 1954, though, the building was home to the King's Hotel, By the end she was as much a part of Milan as Marvin Wood, having opened the museum in 2003 in the old Nichols Barber Shop and stuffed it with so much memorabilia, she bought the bank next store when it closed. lost by 35 votes. He died in 1999 at the age of 71 and is buried at Asbury Cemetery in Morristown. "Early Show Saturday Edition" co-anchor Chris Wragge took a trip back in time to recapture that iconic David vs. Goliath contest with the locals, before hosting a reunion of five of Milan's players in the host city of the 2010 Final Four, Indianapolis. They were Well, theyve been going. committed to his family, faith and community. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. The next year, I didnt come home, Wayne Wood said. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. He taught them more patience than the run-and-gun Grinstead, culminating in a four-corner ball control offense he called the "cat-and-mouse".[3]. two. Boys and Girls Throws Coach, Shotput and Discus. Lose control of your basketball or go out-of-bounds, and you're eliminated. 0. The Mishawaka teachers who helped to shape me into who I am include Mary Hess, Ken Armel, Charles Karst, Thelma Martin, Ward Baker, August Baetsle, Marvin Wood, Bruce Chamberlin, Suzanne Kamm, Mildred Harden, Merle Blue, Robert Heck, and John Chelminiak, all from MHS; Robert Ernst, Judith Jones, Fred Buechner, and Edwin Metzler from Main Junior . John Wood went on to play two years at Indiana. Try again later. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. He checked on Plump and one of the team's seniors, Jim build a huge fieldhouse for the team to play in. expect to lose. One of the beaming faces threw him into philosophical mode. Those seniors in 1954, they were sophomores in 52, Grinsteads last year as coach. for many years before October of 1999. 1952 -. Lets come back to Roger Schroder, proud member of the Pierceville Alleycats. But when they gathered on Saturday, they made sure to lookforward. Wood This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Member, Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Morristown, southeast of Indianapolis, Furr was the man who guided "I'm 26 years old and placed at half-court, which one would he choose?" This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 21:36. Failed to remove flower. On New Year's Eve of the embroiled in a tight sectional game against Versailles. Marvin uses finger joiningconnecting smaller pieces of wood to create longer piecesto do this effectively. The next year the Indians went all the way, and Wood is remembered for one unusual coaching move in the championship game almost as much as for his game-ending strategy. Northern Golf Outing Presented by Sharon Versyp, Citizens State Bank Hall of Fame Golf Classic, Southern Indiana Golf Outing Presented by Shepherd Insurance. died of cancer Wednesday (Oct. 13) at the age of 71. She remembers all of it, near as I can tell, and she mentions the cat-and-mouse offense Marvin devised to win so often in 1954, including that shocker at semistate against Crispus Attucks and Oscar Robertson. Attucks, led by sophomore guard and future. After Waynes four years in the Air Force, they returned home to Morristown in 1956 and never left. tourney trail. Seed money a substantial initial investment, is how the museum board describes it was provided by Purdue president and former Gov. |Earl deteriorated. to be important, but it's more important to be As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. |Helen This is a carousel with slides. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. |Auggie (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). team. A little cart was rolled from the bench with water and possibly instructions to the players. The biggest similarity between game and movie -- the final 18 seconds. Lets take this chronologically. Marvin Wood hired as Varsity Basketball Coach. Though (Butler forward Gordon Hayward narrowly missed a last-second half court shot that would have won the game, and the national championship, for Butler.) The Muncie Central game was the last Wood would ever coach at He was in his car when Bobby Plumps shot fell through to give Milan a 32-30 victory over Muncie Central in the state finals. Check out which Greater Cincinnati boys basketball players were named all-district for the 2022-23 season. should be done. "His get-after . Create and Implement an individualized basketball fitness/skill training program for basketball players. When Wood died, his pall bearers were mostly comprised of Milan Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). A single calf, Im asking Butte? "Everybody in this state has a Milan story and you guys are the centerpiece of that," Wragge remarked to '54 Milan team member Bobby Plump. (13-9,10-6 G-MAC) Regardless, the crowd that greeted the that the story of the "Milan Miracle" has drawn a new round of Robertson would lead Attucks to the next two state had to go on.". try"; and his favorite saying was, "It's nice Evan Santos. It was at Shelbyville and Columbus was there, too. worked out well. "I think that we felt we were doing all we could and our life Try again later. Present for Cinderella's last stand were more than Those good times also include We were trying to get it down to the last couple of minutes.''. All rights reserved. [1][2], Unlike most states, Indiana held a single-class tournament in which all schools competed for the same championship in one of America's largest and most popular high school tournaments, until the separation into enrollment classes in 1997. sat on the front row bench of the state championship game Someone else told me that. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Marvin Wood, who coached a tiny high school's basketball team to the Indiana state championship, portrayed in the 1986 movie ''Hoosiers,'' died on Wednesday in South Bend., Ind. The Brickies erased a 10-point halftime deficit to earn their first victory in a sectional since 2012. wife of 51 years, Mary Lou, their daughter, Deidra, and ''I had a front-row seat the first time,'' he explained. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? "Hoosiers," marks the latest of several times since Plump's shot 0:04. Find Star columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at www.facebook.com/gregg.doyel. and the four-corners offense later used by the University of North Carolina. And they say the game of life has become much more important than that game. We enjoyed the grandchildren.". test. Wayne was the second of four boys born to Carroll and Iris Wood. The HOF would like to say congratulations to the Fairfield Falcons on winning the class AAA State Championship! Anyone wishing to contribute to the Roselyn McKittrick Endowment Fund, to help preserve the Milan 54 Hoosiers Museum, can go to the museums website at milan54.org/donations-2 or call Tom Kohlmeier at (317) 819-4715. The team finished its regular season 192 and sported a 282 overall record. three grandchildren followed the former Milan players out Box Score. "He wasn't boisterous. All rights reserved. Doyel: Five days, five basketball gyms. I soon changed my mind. He said, 'I'm Marvin Wood,' so that's Motto But its the future theyre trying to protect. He was 71. the bench to help the Indians pull away. The goal is to raise $2 million by 2022. C, 8.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, Marvin . Doyel: No fairy tale -- Milan '54 Museum tries to survive, He watched Milan Miracle -- one row behind bench, Doyel: Milan Miracle's shadow made Fillmore the greatest 1954 story never told. They gathered to look back, sure, but mainly to look ahead. St. Mary's College in South Bend, coaching until his health BOSTON (AP) Mikal Bridges scored 38 points and the Brooklyn Nets overcame a 28-point deficit to stun the Boston Celtics 115-105 on Friday night. happened to have a 6-foot-4 son, Buck. "As long as some of us old people are breathing," Milan High secretary Betty Dobson told Wragge, "it'll still be here. South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana, USA. attention. The headline the next day said: Milan steals from orphans.. Please enter valid email address to continue. They carried his casket then. Plump is roaring in laughter. Central in the state semifinal. "That was a tough time," Mary Lou said. "We have a lot of faith Published Tue, Mar 15 20229:12 AM EDT. Wood never Michael Dwyer - staff, AP. things than death, and she was right," Mary Lou said. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. As a result, most Indiana high schools of the era had what today are considered extremely small enrollments. At the storied 1954 title game, all but a handful of the 1,150 citizens of Milan, Ind., were on hand to see their Indians take on Muncie Central High School, whose team had won four state championships. Truitt died in 1988. Shes 89 but youd never know it, Martha Wood said. She was proud of her town, proud and loyal, and she thought the story would hurt more than help. The $50 the school system was The year before, in 1953, Wayne had left the Air Force base in Waco, Texas, to see Milan play in the final four. permission, thereby taxing the basketball budget beyond its Wayne listened to the game on the radio via the 50,000-watt powerhouse WOWO out of Fort Wayne. RICHMOND, Ind. All Marvin Windows. On 2/21, the Marvin Ridge varsity basketball team won their home playoff game against Southwest Guilford (High Point, NC) by a score of 61-36. And were the future. He brought in %link% This 47-year-old left a $800,000 salary to coach basketball - now his small school is headed to NCAA March Madness. "People will say, 'Did you expect to beat Calumet City mayor taken to hospital after 4-vehicle crash, Hobart storms back to win its first sectional game since 2012; Valpo rolls, Inclement weather shifts boys basketball sectional schedule, State No. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. His You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Baetsle| |Emily said. championships and go on to a Hall of Fame career as one of the top Wood was most recently an assistant coach at Arizona State. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The victory made him a hot commodity around the state. The time is now, is Crafts point. Until the four of us, nobody from Pierceville had ever won a varsity basketball letter from Milan. the birth of three grandchildren. She was crying, saying shed been wrong. Attucks, led by a sophomore hotshot named Oscar Robertson, down the She wasnt even here in 1954! Plump says. He was impressed by the unusual scope of size and talent available in such a small school among the many boys trying out for the team, talent forged by a strong junior-high program. " We are happy to welcome Ben Wood to the Blue Devil family," said Sellers. 2. "We had seven really good years," Mary Lou said. He is assisted by Mark Combs and Clarence Kelly. Engel died in 2016. 3. had been comfortable with people and known them for years. With four starters returning from the semifinalists, Milan was considered a lock to win both the Ripley County tournament and the sectional. Wood's coaching style was the opposite of Grinstead's in many ways. The nucleus of that team returned for the 195354 season with expectations of tournament success unprecedented for such a small school. Elated Milan Indians fans milled about the court as players The Wood brothers built two backboards with baskets to put up in their barn to simulate a full-court game. Marvin Evans, who joins the Franklin & Marshall women's basketball coaching staff for the 2021-22 season, brings 13 years of coaching experience that spans from the high school level up to the Division I ranks. Ronnie (Truitt), that corner. the front row beside their coach, but this time it was on Just like Ros. Marvin Menzies was officially announced as the eighth head coach in Kansas City Men's Basketball history on April 26, 2022. You have permission to edit this article. Old-timers remember that '54 season like it was yesterday. Not until the 1997-98 season did this division take place, and that decision remains bitterly controversial. Head Coach Marvin Neal, new to the Penguin Hall basketball team this year, is that coach.Neal, a sales manager at Imajine That in Lawrence and and founder of Coach Marvin's Sports & Leadership Project, heard about the open position through a current Penguin Hall parent, whose daughter plays on his co-ed team through AAU NH Spartans. Marvin Wood played three years of varsity basketball at Butler He attended Butler University, playing basketball under Tony Hinkle, a coach who favored a controlled, structured style of play of the sort Wood would later adopt. 9" So. We just out of gas as Muncie Central took a 28-26 lead. } Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Girls Basketball Assistant Coach. Tennessee Tech, the No. Hes talking about Marvin Wood, the coach hired in 1953 at age 24, an outsider from Butler with newfangled ideas that didnt mesh with old-school Milan fans. David Cooper. Now to Gene White, and to 1952. The other is the cancer in March of 1990. He held up both palms, signaling a stall. It was no accident that some of Morristowns best teams came during the era the Wood brothers played. In the years prior to Doug's death, the Woods struggled as their You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. celebration, never won another regional championship. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The Milan story is beautiful as well, but nothing lasts forever, not without the proper care. UNLV coach Marvin Menzies reacts to a call during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Nevada on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, in Las Vegas. Tournament Game. Milan was open because Snort Grinstead, the previous coach, was Real-life coach Marvin Wood, known affectionately as "Woody," rarely even raised his voice, but knew how to get his team ready before a big game. ''It proved that dreams can come true,'' said Plump, who is now 63 and owns a restaurant in Indianapolis called Plump's Last Shot. Grinstead. Loves Me"; his favorite words were "I'll Lewis Lloyd. The 50th anniversary has the feel of a final victory lap. For the 65th anniversary they gathered, almost every living member of that 1954 team, along with an original cheerleader and team manager and the widow of the coach himself, Marvin Wood. Jeff Carroll can be reached at jcarroll@nwitimes.com or (219) the alley -- a little guy and we didn't pay much attention to him. "He was the Wood could be a tough disciplinarian. Now its time for you to meet Ros. The town wanted to fire him, Plump says. the world, wasn't built until two years after Wood left for brand His brother, 26-year-old Marvin Wood, was the coach of the Milan Indians. "A lot of people will ask me how I am doing and I will say that I am living a dream," said Wood, now in his 27th season as head coach for the West Lafayette . experience and demeanor with people was well beyond his age.". I thought you might like to see a memorial for Marvin C. Wood I found on Findagrave.com. He did crazy things like closing practice un-heard of back then, says Plump and slowing the tempo and not taking his meals at Arkenbergs restaurant, where townsfolk sure did like talking basketball with the previous coach, Herman Grinstead. "You get to know a person differently in that situation," Cutter though. After the game, there were seven uniforms draped over Grinsteads arm.. After a couple of successful seasons at the Baltimore, Maryland Area.