Tark Goes Home To Coach Fresno State Hires Alum To Put Bite Into Bulldog Basketball Program

Jerry Tarkanian, the towel-chomping coach who made UNLV a champion and took the NCAA to the Supreme Court, is coming home.

He was hired Wednesday as basketball coach at Fresno State. And if Fresno State seems a long way from the glitz and neon of Las Vegas, Tarkanian has no complaints.

The 64-year-old coach is coming home to his alma mater and the school he played basketball for in the 1950s. He is also returning to the university where he met his wife and the city where he began coaching in high school.

“I don’t believe that I would have ever coached again if it weren’t for the fact that this is Fresno State,” he said at a news conference. “At this point in my life I can’t think of anything I’d rather do that would be more enjoyable.”

Tarkanian, who has the highest winning percentage in NCAA basketball history, replaces Gary Colson, who resigned March 15 after five seasons. Tarkanian signed a threeyear contract and was the only candidate for the job.

“I know that the support here is unmatched,” Tarkanian said. “I’ve always said the Red Wave is maybe the best fans in the entire country.

“Hopefully, we can get a program going to the level to bring a lot of excitement and a lot of pride to the people of the San Joaquin Valley.”

Fresno State president John Welty, who had the final word on hiring Tarkanian, said the contract “establishes the responsibility of the coach to adhere to NCAA regulations.”

In addition, Welty said the athletic department will hire a compliance officer to guide coaches in all sports in following NCAA rules.

Tarkanian will try to revitalize a team that has had only two winning seasons in the past 10 years. The Bulldogs were 13-15 last season, finishing seventh in the Western Athletic Conference.

After his appointment was announced, hundreds of fans streamed into a local restaurant for a party. Red balloons lined the restaurant and white towels - a Tarkanian trademark - were given away.

“I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Fresno,” Mary Ann Herman said. “This is the best.”

As a college coach, Tarkanian was known for quickly making losing programs consistent winners. He compiled a 625-122 record during five seasons at Long Beach State and 19 at UNLV.

His team won the 1990 NCAA championship when UNLV, led by Larry Johnson, routed Duke by 30 points.

When asked, before his hiring, whether he could lead Fresno State to a Final Four, Tarkanian said: “Final Four? My goodness. What I’d like to do is get the program to be a national power. By that, I mean being able to compete with anyone on a given day.”

His success was accompanied by NCAA investigations involving recruiting and eligibility of players.

The NCAA placed UNLV on two years probation in 1977 and suspended Tarkanian for two years. He continued coaching and appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but lost. He quit at UNLV three years ago.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SHARK ALERT Career coaching record of Jerry Tarkanian, who was hired by Fresno State on Wednesday: Year Team W L Pct 1969 Long Beach St 23 3 .885 1970 Long Beach St 24 5 .828 1971 Long Beach St-x 22 4 .846 1972 Long Beach St-x 23 3 .885 1973 Long Beach St-x 24 2 .923 1974 UNLV 20 6 .769 1975 UNLV 24 5 .828 1976 UNLV 29 2 .935 1977 UNLV 29 3 .906 1978 UNLV 20 8 .714 1979 UNLV 21 8 .724 1980 UNLV 23 9 .719 1981 UNLV 16 12 .571 1982 UNLV 20 10 .667 1983 UNLV 28 3 .903 1984 UNLV 29 6 .829 1985 UNLV 28 4 .875 1986 UNLV 33 5 .868 1987 UNLV 37 2 .949 1988 UNLV 28 6 .824 1989 UNLV 29 8 .784 1990 UNLV 35 5 .875 1991 UNLV 34 1 .971 1992 UNLV 26 2 .929 Totals 625 122 .837 x-NCAA tournament record of 6-3 voided for recruiting violations