LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — This is a big date in UNLV basketball history. On August 8, 1930, Jerry Tarkanian was born in Euclid, Ohio. When Tarkanian arrived on campus in 1973, the Rebels lacked both a winning record and a fan base.
Tark added “Runnin’” to the team’s nickname and went to work on their run-and-gun offense.
He took the team to four Final Four appearances and brought the championship home to Las Vegas in 1990.
A scandal, a year later, would lead to Tarkanian’s ultimate retirement.
The basketball court at the Thomas and Mack Center was named after the legendary coach in 2005. UNLV added a life-sized bronze statue of Tark in 2013.
Bishop Gorman High School continues to host the Tarkanian Classic annually, and he and his wife, Lois, have a school named after them in Southern Highlands.
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