One of Coach John Wooden’s favorite Bible figures is Job. That might seem an odd choice for the man known for leading the UCLA Bruins to a record-smashing 10 NCAA men’s basketball championships, producing a slew of All-Americans and developing NBA stars such as Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul Jabbar), Bill Walton, Walt Hazzard, Marques Johnson and Henry Bibby.

But for the people who know Wooden best, the choice isn’t the least bit surprising, as can be extracted from one of the Bible’s most straightforward passages: “There was a man in the country of Uz named Job. He was a man of perfect integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1).

I love March Madness! I grew up playing basketball, continued through high school, and then cheered for my older brother throughout his college career. I coached the game for a number of years, as well. To me, nothing beats the passion, desire and determination that these collegiate men and women display during the "Big Dance." I love watching teams overcome large deficits in order to advance to the next round. Unfailingly, the commentators state again and again how poised these teams are, and I must agree. The teams that prevail are clear-headed and focused, and they stick to their coach's plan.

We are all familiar with the story of Jonah being swallowed by the giant fish. But, what is intriguing to me is that in the four chapters in the book of Jonah, he goes through four different phases with God. In chapter 1, Jonah is running away from God. In chapter 2, he is running to God. In chapter 3, he is running with God. And, in chapter 4, he is running ahead of God. I believe that in our Christian lives we all go through these phases as coaches and athletes.