Coach Jerry Tarkanian honored at Fresno State

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Coach Jerry Tarkanian was honored Saturday evening for his dedication to the Fresno State men's basketball team.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Family, friends and fans gathered at the Save Mart Center on Saturday to remember a beloved coach. Jerry Tarkanian, 84, died two weeks ago in Las Vegas after decades of coaching men's college basketball, including at Fresno State.

Tark was honored by Fresno State President Joseph Castro, his former players, as well as family members in a brief but touching ceremony. Many spoke about Tarkanian's impact on every community where he coached.

Fans lined up -- some for even an hour -- to get free tickets to the commemoration and the basketball game that followed.

"I think he was a great figure in basketball. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see him, but I look back on history and see the great things he did," said Dave Ellalobos of Fresno.

The celebration for Coach Tark's life continues on Sunday in Las Vegas at the Thomas and Mack Center. That event is open to the public.