Hall of Fame basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian passed away this week after several years of struggling with his health. Rest easy my friend.

The media has been telling us all week about his prowess as a coach and how he deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. Too bad they couldn’t do that years before last year’s induction. His battles with the NCAA are legendary. None of it addresses one simple fact; he was a hell of a basketball coach every step of the way.

Our friendship goes back to 1953 before career and family. I enrolled at Fresno State in the Fall of that year after a successful two years at College of the Sequoias, Visalia, CA. My dream was to play basketball and baseball there. Of course, the moment I completed registration I went to the gym. I bumped into Assistant Football Coach Bob Burgess who was talking to Jerry and his best friend, Dale Arambel.They were candidates for this year’s team too.

Afternoons in the fall were spent on the court in pickup games, especially since our Head Coach, Clark Van Galder, was also the Head Football Coach.This was due to the retirement of Head Basketball Coach, Dutch Warmerdam who, by the way, was the greatest pole vaulter of all time. Jerry and I became friends almost instantly.

I had made housing arrangements that summer, but they unraveled in the first couple of months so Jerry proposed I move in with them. I would be the eighth guy in an old four bedroom house. What a crew. All were jocks except my new roommate Sid Craig. You might know him as Mr. Jenny Craig. We talked about two things—sports and girls … we worked on the sports and talked about the girls.

I had a successful year as a starter and leading scorer, but the year wasn’t so productive for Jerry. He complained a lot about playing time and he loved Van Galder. Players always want to play and coaches have to make decisions. He never forgot that. It was also a demonstration of Jerry’s biggest asset, LOYALTY.

At the end of the school year I went in the Army for a variety of reasons. Jerry was the only one who stayed in touch. During my two year stint, Jerry graduated and was hired to coach Varsity at San Joaquin Memorial High. Since we were both single, we again roomed with each other. To be able to pay the rent we recruited a graduated football player Darryl Rogers. Darryl later was the Head Coach at San Jose State, Arizona State and the Detroit Lions. Guess what we talked about?

Jerry’s team at SJ Memorial was a mirror image of him. Scrappy, competitive and a winner. They started a 6’5” center and four others ranging from 5’4” to 5’6”. They won more games that year than they had in years. And, he played anyone who would play for him. Sound familiar.

That year we both got married. Jerry to his wife to this day, Lois Hueter and me to Sally Bob Graves, the mother of my four children. Our four kids and Jerry’s were almost born at the same time so our life after college had lots of babies on the scene. When I graduated in the Spring I went off to graduate school at the University of Washington and Jerry journeyed to Antelope Valley High School, Redlands High and ultimately, Riverside City College where for all intents and purposes he owned the State Community College Championship.

One of those years I was his assistant coach. We went 37-0 with a great player from Riverside Poly, Bob Rule. A 6’8” shot blocker and scorer he made an average team into a complete winner despite his local detractors who said he would never make it at the college level. He did more than that as an outstanding player for the Seattle Supersonics until a ruptured achilles tendon put him down. Bobby was the model for so many players who followed as members of so many great teams.

Jerry’s teams won because he was afraid to lose. Therefore, he made things simple, he valued and respected his players who respected him in return. He was a learner who would learn from anyone. He would stop a stranger on the street if he thought he had a play that might win the next game. His mind was always on the next game and the next player he needed to win it.

Jerry Tarkanian I love you. My only regret is that I was unable to spend more time with you over the years. Know this—I know you better than most and always was your advocate. You have battled hard. Rest in peace my friend.

Coach Todd’s coaching wisdom can be found online at lulu.com. Check it out.