Ex-UNLV players say Tarkanian also was father figure, friend and mentor

In almost every way, Jerry Tarkanian was the godfather of UNLV basketball. From afar, he will be remembered as a legendary coach. To the players closest to him, he meant far more.

Tarkanian, who died Wednesday at 84, was a colorful character and storyteller who faced it all, rebelled against authority and did things his way, as his old friend Frank Sinatra would say.

But many of the players who helped Tarkanian reach the Naismith Hall of Fame recall first a coach who played the roles of father figure, friend and mentor for a lifetime.

“Tark was like that second father to me,” said Stacey Augmon, who helped lift the Rebels to the 1990 NCAA championship and led two of Tarkanian’s four Final Four teams.

“Anytime you wanted to make a call or needed to talk to him, he was always there,” said Reggie Theus, a standout on Tarkanian’s first Final Four team in 1977. “As a friend, all you can ever ask is for someone to be there when you need them, and he was always there.”

Tarkanian coached UNLV from 1973 to 1992, and while he is celebrated for his accomplishments and how he changed the college game, his players talk most about how his unique personal touch changed lives.

“I love Coach Tark,” said Freddie Banks, a shooting star on the Rebels’ second Final Four team in 1987. “I’ve got a lot of stories about Coach Tark.”

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There are stories about Tarkanian giving kids chances — whether first, second or third chances — and the kids taking advantage in life.

Augmon, ever grateful that he was pulled from Pasadena, Calif., to Las Vegas by Tarkanian, finished his career as UNLV’s No. 3 all-time scorer with 2,011 points. He went on to play and coach in the NBA before returning to the Rebels as an assistant coach in 2011, when Tarkanian was thrilled to welcome him back home.

Augmon: “He gave the guys that were on the borderline a second chance that a lot of colleges wouldn’t touch.

“He was a true leader by example in my younger years. I recall in high school, I had a reputation as a troubled kid, but Coach Tark was the type of coach that believed in everyone’s potential and gave everyone a second chance. I was one of those guys. I came to UNLV as a young, misled, misunderstood kid, and just didn’t know anything about life.

“Coach Tark took me under his wing, and after my five years at UNLV, I left as a young man with great values, a better person and with a great love and understanding of the game of basketball.”

Banks, the Rebels’ No. 4 all-time scorer with 2,007 points from 1983 to 1987, practices Tarkanian’s teachings on a smaller stage as basketball coach at Canyon Springs High School.

Banks: “He gave kids from the inner city, the kids who had a mother in their home but not a father, or a father in their home but not a mother, he gave kids a chance to play basketball.

“Most coaches were not going to touch those kids, and he gave those kids a chance. Some people did look at him the wrong way because of that, but at the end of the day, he was a person who gave kids a chance, and you have to give them a chance, but that’s what they are is kids.

“The fond memories I have of him are of a father, a mentor, a teacher and a coach, and he has done all of those things for me. He taught me how to play the game. He taught me how to be a father to some of the kids and how to be a mentor for the kids.”

Moses Scurry was a power forward on the 1990 championship team. Before that, he was one of those inner-city kids. He called his former coach and close friend “a life changer” as he stood in front of the statue of Tarkanian outside of the Thomas &Mack Center on Wednesday.

Scurry: “He gave me everything I’ve got today. If he hadn’t taken me out of Brooklyn, I’d have been in trouble, jail, dead. He took me out of a bad situation and put me in a great situation.”

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There are stories about how Tarkanian motivated his players on the court.

Banks: “I think it was my freshman year, he said, ‘Freddie, you’ve got to shoot the ball, and I don’t care how many you miss, keep shooting because some of those are going to fall.’

“Coach Tark was very loyal to his players. He kept his word on everything, and that made you feel good.

“There were times when we were in the locker room at halftime, and he used to wear cowboy boots, and he would kick the walls and throw the chalk and say, ‘You guys can’t play defense like that.’ We would go out and dominate the second half.”

Theus: “The memory I have the most of Tark is him smiling and yelling at us on the floor, ‘When you go pick up your scholarship check, wear a mask, because you’re robbing the university.’

“Tark was such a phenomenal motivator. Tark got me to play as hard as I could possibly play at all times. That’s a great tribute to a coach.”

Robert Smith was the point guard on the 1977 Final Four team. But Smith, now the Rebels’ radio analyst, was not one of Tarkanian’s favorite players right away. He had to earn it the hard way.

Smith: “At that time, Tark wasn’t really interested in my game because he thought I was too small. I had to come in and prove myself, which was a good thing.

“Tark let you know what was on his mind. He was demanding. The thing I liked about him is he got the most out of me and made me work hard. He didn’t accept less than 100 percent every day.

“At first, I don’t know that we were real close. But as time went on, I realized what he wanted from each guy. I had a real good rapport with him.”

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There are stories about how Tarkanian changed the college game in the 1970s by implementing a full-court pressure defense that led to a high-scoring offense. In the 1976-77 season, the Rebels scored 100 points or more in 23 of 32 games.

Theus: “He was truly the first to coach up-tempo basketball, and everybody else came after him. We scored so many points, and we scored those points because of our defense. We as a team got more excited about playing defense. When you average 110 points a game without the 3-point line, today’s players really don’t understand what that’s like.

“His style of play was innovative. It gave college basketball a glimpse of a very different style of play. I’m so blessed to be able to play for a guy like him and see the game the way it’s meant to be played.”

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There are stories about how Tarkanian’s teams were intimidating. Tarkanian often said Larry Johnson, who starred alongside Augmon, was the best player in UNLV history, and Johnson and Augmon were dominant while the Rebels compiled a 69-6 record from 1989 to 1991.

Johnson: “We loved each other, but if you played basketball against us, you would hate us. When we hit the floor, move out of the way.”

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There are stories about Tarkanian’s friendships with his players and their loyalty to him.

Augmon: “Throughout my professional years, I always called back to check on him and how he’s doing. Or he would call me and ask, ‘What are you doing, Stacey? You’re messing up.’ We had a great relationship.”

Banks: “He was a great guy to anyone who knew him. He did a lot for me.”

Johnson: “When we first left and Coach left, the first five or six years everybody was a little bit disconnected. Nobody really came back.”

Theus: “He had a style and a way about him that people gravitated toward. He had a great sense of humor. For 24 hours, if you sat there and talked basketball with him, he would talk basketball all day and all night. When Tark was telling stories, he would talk until he was literally running out of air.”

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At the end of the story, there were emotions. Scurry was with Tarkanian for much of his final two days in the hospital and said he was in tears.

Scurry: “It’s been sad, just to see him like that. I’m not used to seeing him like that. I had to be there. Couldn’t be no other way. I had to be there.

“He’s in a better place. Not hurting anymore. I don’t like to see anyone hurting, let alone someone who made me a man. Made me what I am today.”

Augmon: “My heart is hurting.”

Theus: “It’s a sad day, and a sad day for basketball. Rest in peace, Coach.

“I’m so happy he finally got his due and recognition for his accomplishments he had coaching basketball. Getting the accolades even late is still great.

“The great thing about Tark is there are so many stories. I thought of about 10 things right off the bat and they are all hilarious. Where do you want me to start?”

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.