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Jerry Tarkanian dies at 84

By Ethan Finkelstein

Feb 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UNLV Runnin
Feb 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UNLV Runnin /
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Legendary NCAA head basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, 84, passed away on Wednesday.

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Jerry Tarkanian, whose teams won 729 games and the 1990 NCAA Division I Men’s championship, passed away Wednesday at the age of 84. This week has been a tough one for college basketball as a whole. On Saturday, the world said goodbye to fellow coaching legend Dean Smith. Tarkanian’s passing was reported on Twitter by his own son, Danny.

On Monday, Tarkanian had been taken to Valley Hospital Medical Center for respiratory issues and an infection. It was just the latest of several visits to the hospital over the past year for him. In November, Tarkanian suffered from pneumonia, and back in April of 2014, had sustained his second heart attack.

Tarkanian was a lively spirit court-side throughout his coaching days. He was rather colorful at the helm of his teams, and was not afraid to speak his mind on matters concerning the NCAA. The most publicized case came during 1977. The NCAA attempted to have UNLV suspend Tarkanian two seasons due to “questionable practices” on the part of UNLV dating back to 1971. Because Tarkanian had not been hired until 1973, he felt that the NCAA’s ruling was in direct violation of due process. It was a case that would drag out for the better part of two decades, and end in an out of court settlement, with $2.5 million being award to the embattled head coach.

During this time period, questions had arisen over just how much power the NCAA should command in making their rulings, with plenty of journalists and fans alike wondering if due process really did exist within major college sports. Tarkanian was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of fame in 2013.

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