RIP to one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time and somebody who I had the pleasure of meeting.
RIP Jerry Tarkanian
- Thread starter El Paso Chihuahuas
- Start date
Truly one of the best college basketball coaches that has ever been. Certainly not given the credit he deserves.
Tark was an excellent coach. Came to Long Beach State from a JUCO college in Pasadena and built a powerhouse program at the "Beach". He could recruit from anywhere in the country. His biggest prize was a guy named Ed Ratleff from Ohio who was a prep all American. Ratleff went on to lead Long Beach as one of the top teams in the country, losing to UCLA at the last minute by a point or two, at a regional final. UCLA won the NCAA title that year. Ratleff was selected as a first team All American. Tarkanian continued to have powerhouses at the "Beach" until he was lured to UNLV where he continued to produce all those powerful teams over the years.
I had the pleasure of knowing Tark at Kelly's, a watering hole by the beach. All the hoop maniacs hung out at this joint to discuss or argue about hoops. I had a lot of ammunition because UTEP was also a powerhouse at the time. Tark had great respect and admiration for Haskins - UTEP was admired and respected in the college hoop world, along with LB State and later UNLV. Rest in peace Tark.
I had the pleasure of knowing Tark at Kelly's, a watering hole by the beach. All the hoop maniacs hung out at this joint to discuss or argue about hoops. I had a lot of ammunition because UTEP was also a powerhouse at the time. Tark had great respect and admiration for Haskins - UTEP was admired and respected in the college hoop world, along with LB State and later UNLV. Rest in peace Tark.
SweetLou... the irony that the UNLV president Robert Maxon ended up running him out of UNLV then became the Beach's president was always an indicator that life sometimes has a crappy sense of humor.
Imagine if the Beach would have bested UNLV's offer. The Pyramid would have been built probably sooner and be a lot more popular destination for HS basketball players.
Imagine if the Beach would have bested UNLV's offer. The Pyramid would have been built probably sooner and be a lot more popular destination for HS basketball players.
Tribal, if you have a chance, read the article on Tark on the front page of today's LA Times. A must read for all hoop maniacs. Included is a part of his life that I did not know - " Tark was on verge of becoming coach of the Lakers in 1979 when his agent Vic Weiss was found slain and stuffed of his Rolls Royce. Police suspected ties to organized crime, but the case remains unsolved. A shaken Tarkanian turned down the Lakers" Wow - a whole lot of interesting stuff in this article. A must read for all you young bucks.
