R.I.P. Jerry Tarkanian

Jerry Tarkanian, coach of the 1990 NCAA Basketball champion Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebels, died February 11th in Las Vegas at age 84. Tark the Shark as he was nicknamed, took UNLV to the Final Four in 1977, 1987, 1990, and 1991. His 1990 team blew out Duke 103-73 in the NCAA Final that year.

Known for chewing on a moist towel while on the sidelines, Tarkanian began his Division I college head coaching career at Long Beach State, coaching there from 1968-1973. He then went to UNLV, and was there through the 1992 season. At Las Vegas, Tarkanian built teams with plenty of offensive firepower coupled with unyielding defenses. Tarkanian was not afraid to recruit players of questionable character and background while at UNLV, and that was his eventual undoing. In 1991, a Las Vegas newspaper published a picture of some UNLV players in a hot tub with a gambler and convicted game fixer. Tarkanian resigned after the 91-92 season. Tarkanian returned to college coaching in 1995 at Fresno State, the school where he had played college basketball, and retired in 2002.

Tarkanian was 706-198 in his 31 year career. One of his biggest victories was off the basketball court and in the legal courts. Convinced that the NCAA was out to get him, Tarkanian sued the NCAA for trying to run him out of college basketball. He won a $2.5 million settlement in 1998.