Legendary Maryland high school basketball coach Morgan Wootten was remembered Monday at a funeral Mass.
Wootten's Mass was celebrated at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, where he coached for 46 seasons.
A number of the coach's former players attended the Mass, including sportscaster James Brown and NBA player Danny Ferry. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was in attendance as well. Team memorabilia and a photograph of Wootten and his wife were on display.
Wootten was the first high school coach inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000, after more than four decades coaching his team.
Wootten coached at DeMatha from 1956 to 2002, pushing his team to more than 1,200 victories and sending a dozen players on to the NBA, according to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
DeMatha won more than 30 conference championships under Wootten's leadership.
Wootten coached at DeMatha from 1956 to 2002, pushing his team to more than 1,200 victories and sending a dozen players on to the NBA, according to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The week of Wootten's death, his family announced he was in hospice care and asked for those he impacted to send him a message.
After his death, remembrances poured in online.
"He will forever be 'Coach' to all of us," current DeMatha basketball coach Mike Jones said.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked for donations to the Morgan Wootten Scholarship Fund at DeMatha High School.
