The college basketball world just lost another legend. On Wednesday morning, just four days after the death of former North Carolina head coach Dean Smith, former UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian passed away at Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas. According to Tarkanian's son Danny Tarkanian, the 84-year-old had been hospitalized since Monday with a respiratory ailment and an infection. He made the announcement about his father's death on Twitter:
During his 31 years of coaching at the Division I level—he coached for Long Beach State, UNLV, and Fresno State—Tarkanian put together a 729-201 record, including a 509-105 record during his time at UNLV. He led the Runnin' Rebels to the NCAA national championship in 1990 and made four Final Four appearances in 1977, 1987, 1990, and 1991. He also coached the San Antonio Spurs for a very brief period of time in 1992.
Tarkanian was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. He is survived by his wife Lois, his daughters Pam and Jodie, his sons George and Danny, and 11 grandchildren.
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[via ESPN]
