[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 7, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATING JERRY TARKANIAN

 Mr. HELLER. Madam President, today I wish to congratulate 
former University of Nevada, Las Vegas, UNLV, Runnin' Rebel basketball 
coach Jerry Tarkanian for being selected for the Naismith Memorial 
Basketball Hall of Fame. Coach Tarkanian will be inducted into the Hall 
of Fame on September 8, 2013.
  Jerry Tarkanian headed the Runnin' Rebels for 19 seasons with an 
aggressive and up-tempo style that captivated basketball fans in Las 
Vegas and across the Nation. Coach Tarkanian posted an impressive 
winning record at UNLV with a 509-105 winning record--in fact, he never 
had a losing season with UNLV. He led the Runnin' Rebels to four NCAA 
Final Four appearances, and a national championship in 1990 with a 103-
73 runaway victory over Duke. The 1990 National Championship is still 
the highest margin of victory in NCAA tournament championship game 
history.
  Not only did Jerry Tarkanian help bring UNLV basketball to national 
prominence, he aided the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in gaining 
exposure and distinction in Nevada. It would be impossible to quantify 
the impact that Coach Tarkanian has had on the progress and success of 
UNLV, but his contributions to the State of Nevada certainly deserve 
our deep appreciation.
  Although Coach Tarkanian has not nervously chewed on a towel in the 
`Shark Tank' for more than two decades, he is still a beloved figure in 
the Silver State. Fans and the university community honored him when 
the court at the Thomas & Mack Center was named in his honor on 
November 26, 2005.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating this great Nevadan 
and iconic figure in NCAA basketball history. He may now just be 
officially joining the Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA, but he has long 
been in the Hall of Fame in the minds and hearts of UNLV fans.

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