Jerry Tarkanian passed away on Wednesday morning. Those who have lived in Las Vegas going back to the UNLV glory years know how much Tark meant not only to UNLV, but to the city as well. I’m not sure that folks living elsewhere can fully grasp the impact Tark had on the growth of both the university and the community as a whole.
The NHL might be on the way to Las Vegas, but for the past nearly 40 years, UNLV basketball has been our franchise. Tark turned Runnin’ Rebel basketball into the greatest show in the city. The program got so popular it became necessary to build a huge new arena to accommodate the huge number of fans who wanted to go to the games. Subsequently, UNLV became the virtual late night staple of ESPN’s Big Monday and the Rebels were as high visibility as it got. That spurred enrollments from students all over the country, and in turn the school grew exponentially.
But there was much more to Jerry Tarkanian that just basketball. There was simply no one bigger in the city, and that includes any headliner on the Las Vegas Strip. Tark was the real Mr. Las Vegas.
But Jerry never acted the part of superstar. Ask anyone who dealt with him on even the most casual basis for all the years he was here. He made time to talk with anyone who wanted to converse. He would always be asking fans if they were happy with the way the team was playing and his recall for faces was remarkable. I think it’s absolutely fair to state that he never big timed anybody.
I was lucky enough to get to know Tark pretty well over the years and he simply never changed. He loved talking about sports, loved talking about Las Vegas and was one of the most positive people I’ve ever met, but never in a phony way.
I think it’s fair to say that Jerry Tarkanian is as significant as any individual who has ever called Las Vegas home. He truly changed this city and he’ll never be forgotten.