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Chatterbox Corner: On the Anniversary of Jerry Tarkanian’s Death

Three years ago Feb. 11, the City of Las Vegas lost a historic figure in the community.

At 84 years of age, legendary UNLV head basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian passed away. The entire city mourned the loss of the staple in the state. One week after his passing, the Las Vegas Strip dimmed all its lights in unison for three minutes.

Tarkanian was a wizard and a basketball genius. During his 30-year coaching tenure he helped revolutionize three universities: Long Beach State University, UNLV and Fresno State University.

He made an impact right away at Long Beach State, making the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons before coming to UNLV.