Friday, March 15, 2002 | 11:12 a.m.
Whether Jerry Tarkanian quit voluntarily or was gently nudged by Fresno State, his retirement today after 38 years of college basketball coaching -- half of them at UNLV -- marks the end of a career that captivated and polarized Southern Nevada like few others before or since.
Tarkanian, 71, who made UNLV's "Runnin' Rebels" a hip national commodity and coached them to 509 victories including the 1990 NCAA championship, planned to announce his retirement today in Fresno, two days after a disheartening 19-15 season ended with an NIT loss to Temple.
"I'm retiring. It's time, Tarkanian said today from his office in Fresno. "I've had such a tough season.
With his moistened chewing towel, shaved head and raspy, high voice, Tarkanian has been one of the most colorful characters in college basketball and most beloved figures ever in Las Vegas. His run-and-gun Rebels reflected his popular personality and their 1990 and '91 teams are among the best in college history.
The man known as Tark to practically everyone -- "Shark" to others -- hinted for the last two years that he was ready to quit coaching, citing weariness from recruiting and battling with the NCAA. Eligibility issues resulted in Fresno State losing one player all season and two others for parts of it.
"It was just a nightmare, Tarkanian said. "The NCAA tore my team apart. This year was going to be my best team and they just came in and dismantled it.
But it was also clear to Fresno State insiders that school president John Welty wants a fresh start for the basketball program when it moves into its new Save Mart Center arena in 2003. Tarkanian met with Welty on Thursday to negotiate retirement terms; he will reportedly serve as a consultant for two years and the Save Mart court will be named in his honor.
Though some Fresno State fans held out hope that Tarkanian would stay on as coach, his departure from the school wasn't nearly as contentious or public as his separation from UNLV in 1992. Tarkanian was forced out by then-university president Robert Maxson and athletic director Dennis Finfrock, prompted by 15 years of run-ins with NCAA regulators and attorneys.
To many, UNLV's basketball program -- perhaps the entire athletic program -- has never recovered from that soap opera, which alienated boosters and kept the school mired in bad publicity. In 10 seasons since, the Rebels have had four head coaches and three interim coaches, but their national prominence has never returned to the heady levels of Tarkanian's 19-year tenure.
Tarkanian's coaching records are staggering, placing him among the all-time greats. His 778 Division I wins rank eighth on the career list, and his 79.4 winning percentage was No. 2 among active coaches, trailing Kansas' Roy Williams (80.7). Before his career-closing seven-year stint at Fresno State, in which he was 153-80, Tarkanian was the all-time percentage leader at 83.7.
Combined with a 212-26 record from seven seasons as a junior college coach in California (1961-68), Tarkanian's total college record is 990-228 (81.3).
Most of Tarkanian's success came with the Rebels from 1973-92, after his Juco stint and five seasons at Long Beach State (1968-73), in which he led the 49ers to a 116-17 record and four NCAA Tournament bids.
"I'm still going to be tied to Las Vegas more than anything, Tarkanian said. "When I was there, it was a special time in my life. I'll never forget those years. Those were the glory years.
A native of Euclid, Ohio, where he was born on Aug. 8, 1930, Tarkanian became the Rebels' fifth head coach on March 23, 1973, replacing John Bayer. In short order he put UNLV in the big-time, coaching the Rebels into the NCAA Tournament in 1975 for the first time since the school's move to Division I in 1969.
In 1977, UNLV compiled a 29-3 record with a high-scoring lineup known as the Hardway Eight, reaching the Final Four in Atlanta where it lost to North Carolina 84-83 in the semifinals. The team set NCAA records for most points in a season (3,426) and 100-point games (23).
After a dry spell in which the Rebels didn't get to the NCAA Tournament from 1978-82, they began a run of success that made UNLV a household name and a favorite of sports apparel wearers. From 1983-91, they played in the NCAA tournament all nine years, got to the Final Four in 1987, 1990 and 1991 and won the 1990 national title with a 35-5 record.
The 1987 team, led by Armen Gilliam and Freddie Banks, set a school record for wins (37-2). A 97-93 loss to Indiana in the national semifinals in New Orleans marred the finish.
In 1990 the Rebels added star forward Larry Johnson to a veteran lineup that included Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon and Anderson Hunt. The mix was potent and dominant, culminating with a semifinal victory over Georgia Tech and a 103-73 rout of Duke in the championship at McNichols Arena in Denver. It remains the largest margin of victory in an NCAA final.
The Rebels made a spirited bid to defend their title in 1991, winning all 34 games heading into the Final Four against Duke. The Blue Devils got revenge for the 1990 loss, knocking out UNLV 79-77 in the semis.
Including Tarkanian's final season, in which the NCAA declared UNLV ineligible for postseason play, the Rebels averaged 31 wins over his last 10 years, going 307-42. They dominated the Big West, winning the regular-season title every year and the conference tournament seven times.
After being ousted by UNLV, Tarkanian made his worst misstep as a coach in 1992 when he took over the NBA's San Antonio Spurs. He stepped down after two months with a 9-11 record.
Tarkanian returned to coaching in 1995 at Fresno State, his alma mater, quickly resurrecting a moribund program. In his first four seasons, FSU won 22, 20, 21 and 21 games, played in the NIT every year and got to the tournament semis in 1998. In 2000, FSU made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1984, having won the WAC tournament. The Bulldogs also qualified in 2001, winning the WAC regular season and racking up a 26-7 record.
In all, Tarkanian took 18 teams (and three schools) to the NCAA Tournament in 31 Division I seasons. Seven other teams played in the NIT.4 winning percentage was No. 2 among active coaches.
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