By Flint Wheeler
Legendary UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian has passed this week in a Las Vegas hospital. He was 84 years old.
Jerry Tarkanian had been in the hospital since Monday night, dealing with low blood pressure and an infection, according to the Las Vegas Sun. The news of Tarkanian’s passing was reported by son Danny Tarkanian via Twitter.
@DannyTarkanian tweeted;
“Coach Tark, my father, the greatest man I have ever known, passed today, to take his place in heaven. I will miss him every day of my life.”
Jerry was a head college basketball coach from 1968-2002, most notably at UNLV. Tarkanian guided the Runnin’ Rebels to 4 Final Four appearances and an NCAA Championship title over Duke in 1990. Tarkanian’s win over Duke is the largest win over that program in the last 25 years.
Tarkanian was a mainstay in the Las Vegas community. As Vegas doesn’t have any professional sports teams, UNLV became the official Vegas team, with Tarkanian’s “Defense-creates-offense” play style, making the Thomas and Mack arena the go-to destination during his tenure.
Fans took to Twitter to say their well-wishes and goodbyes to the legendary Hall of Fame coach.
Nicknamed “Tark the Shark,” Jerry retired in 2002 with 729 career wins as a coach. With a .784 win PCT, Tarkanian entered the Hall of Fame in 2013 with the 7th best winning percentage in NCAA history. The towel chomping Tarkanian fought consistently with the NCAA, eventually having the United States Supreme Court rule against them in 1988, saying his due process was violated when the NCAA suspended him for two years before the start of the 1976-77 season.
Tarkanian’s health had been failing in recent years, with frequent stays in the hospital. In a statement to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Lois Tarkanian released a statement regarding the death of her husband, Jerry.
Jerry has been in fragile health since 2009. He fought his health problems with the same tenacity he showed throughout his life. Our family thanks, from the bottom of our hearts, all those who have sent letters and prayers, who have shown their love for Jerry and support for our family, the numerous fans and the many players who considered him a second father. Our hearts are broken but filled with incredible memories.”
He always told me to do what was right. That was the thing as much as anything that he instilled in me and those around him — a commitment and a confidence to do what you felt was right for the people around you, not necessarily what was popular.”
Jerry Tarkanian will be remembered in Las Vegas for helping establish UNLV as a basketball powerhouse. He’ll be remembered throughout basketball as being an excellent coach who challenged the NCAA his whole career.
Jerry Tarkanian is survived by his wife Lois, his children Danny, George, Pamela, and Jodie, as well as 11 grandchildren and all of Las Vegas.
When I attended U.N.L.V. in the late 90’s early 2000’s, my apartment was on the corner of Tarkanian and Harmon Blvd. Long passed were the days of the full court press, Hollywood like home games and a sold out Thomas & Mack. However, everywhere throughout the city and especially around campus, evidence was abundant that this man had left a legacy and example never to be matched. All he ever wanted was an opportunity and was looked over or second guessed throughout his career, fitting that his legacy is that of giving those who were second guessed an opportunity. Thank you Mr. Tarkanian for damning the critics, the system and doing it ‘Your Way”. In a society of whistle-blowers, P.R. agents and herds of finger pointers, you danced to your own tune. And I was a fan, always will be, because of it.
