Remembering Pasadena High School and Pasadena City College Alum Jerry Tarkanian

Jerry Tarkanian while coaching Long Beach City College- Courtesy photo / Long Beach State Athletics

By Spencer Stueve

It has been almost three years since legendary basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian passed away, but even though he no longer roams any sideline, he is still one of the most beloved coaches of all time.

Jerry Tarkanian spent much of his youth in Euclid, Ohio, but when he was 11 years old, his father died and the family packed up and moved to California.  The Tarkanian family landed in Pasadena in early 1942, and a couple years later, Jerry enrolled at Pasadena High School.  While in high school, Jerry developed an interest in sports, but his new stepfather thought that participation in sports would distract Jerry from more important academic pursuits.

It would not be until Jerry enrolled at Pasadena City College following graduation from PHS that he finally played organized sports.  In 1950-1951, Jerry played for the PCC basketball team and did extraordinary well, catching the eyes of local college coaches.  Jerry would transfer to Fresno State on an athletic scholarship and graduate in 1955.

While Tarkanian’s playing career was certainly enviable, it was his coaching career that made him a legend.  Tarkanian coached five years of high school basketball in California, at three different schools, and then moved to the junior college level, winning four straight California state titles, three at Riverside and then one back home at Pasadena City College.

In 1968, Tark the Shark, as he would become known, took over at Long Beach State and experienced incredible success.  In five seasons, LBSU made the NCAA tournament four times, reaching as far as the Elite Eight in 1972.  Tarkanian would move on to UNLV, where he gained great fame and achieved great success.  In 17 years at UNLV, the Runnin’ Rebels had a 465-94 record, reaching three Final Four’s and winning the 1990 National Championship.

In 1992, Tarkanian left UNLV to coach the San Antonio Spurs, but due to disagreements with the front office, he coached only 20 games, finishing with a 9-11 record.  Tarkanian’s coaching career ended with one final stint, coaching seven years at Fresno State, and leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament twice and appearing in five NIT tournaments.

Tarkanian’s career was not without controversy, as he was repeatedly in trouble with the NCAA for a wide number of infractions.  Though Tark the Shark was at once seen as a widely unlikeable figure, time has done his legacy well.  Jerry Tarkanian, who once walked the halls at Pasadena High School and Pasadena City College, died in 2015 with 761 wins at the Division 1 level, 13th most in history.

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