Legendary college basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian passed away on Feb. 11. Tributes have been rolling in since his passing, and they’re not finished yet. The city of Las Vegas will honor the coach who raised the status of UNLV during the early ‘90s by dimming the lights on the Vegas Strip on Wed., Feb. 18.
Las Vegas will honor Jerry Tarkanian by dimming the lights on the Strip
The legendary UNLV coach will get a rare honor after passing away.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Tarkanian led UNLV to a national title in 1990 and to an undefeated 1991 season before falling to Duke in the Final Four. Ever the controversial figure, Tarkanian clashed with the NCAA numerous times, receiving several sanctions. His death came only four days after the passing of Dean Smith, one of his most accomplished contemporaries and someone who at one point was considered to be on the opposite end of the spectrum between right and wrong in college basketball.
Tarkanian was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and now will continue to be acknowledged as the larger-than-life presence he was, with an honor that has only been received in Las Vegas by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy.
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