Tarkanian Takes His Act to Fresno : College basketball: Former Nevada Las Vegas coach returns to his alma mater.

Coach Jerry Tarkanian, who put Nevada Las Vegas in the national spotlight as much for his success as his long-running legal battles with the NCAA, returned to college basketball Wednesday, when he accepted the Fresno State job.

Tarkanian, a 1955 graduate of Fresno State, agreed to a three-year contract, it was announced during a news conference at the campus. Terms were not released.

The announcement ends weeks of speculation and anticipation in the community over whether Tarkanian, 64, would return to his alma mater.

The position opened March 15, when Gary Colson resigned after five seasons. The office of Athletic Director Gary Cunningham was overwhelmed with phone calls and faxes from community leaders, alumni and students supporting Tarkanian’s hiring.

The Bulldogs’ new coach said the Fresno State fans, known as the Red Wave, helped make his decision simple.

“I know that the support here is unmatched,” he said. “I’ve always said that the Red Wave is maybe the best fans in the entire country.”

Fresno State was 13-15 last season and finished seventh in the Western Athletic Conference. Tarkanian said he wants Fresno State to quickly compete with the nation’s elite.

“Hopefully, we can get a program going to the level to bring a lot of excitement and a lot of pride to the people of the San Joaquin Valley,” he said.

After his appointment was announced, hundreds of fans streamed into a local restaurant for a party. Red balloons lined the restaurant and white towels--a Tarkanian trademark--were given away.

Affectionately nicknamed “Tark the Shark” for his habit of chomping on the folded, wet towels during games, he has the highest winning percentage in NCAA history. He was 625-122 (.837%) during five seasons at Long Beach State and 19 at UNLV.

His teams at Long Beach and Las Vegas were known for aggressive defense and fast-break offense. The Rebels played in four Final Fours under Tarkanian and won the 1990 national championship.

However, his teams were also plagued by NCAA investigations involving recruiting violationsand the eligibility of his players.

He also feuded with former UNLV President Robert Maxson, who now holds that position at Long Beach. Fresno State President John Welty, who had the final word on hiring Tarkanian, said the contract “establishes the responsibility of the coach to adhere to NCAA regulations.”

Welty said the school will hire a compliance officer to help coaches in all sports adhere to NCAA guidelines.

Tarkanian resigned from UNLV three years ago after photos were published showing three former UNLV players and convicted sports fixer Richard Perry sitting together in a hot tub.

Tarkanian was hired in 1992 to coach the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs but was fired shortly after the start of the season.

Since leaving coaching, he has done basketball commentary for TV, hosted a sports radio talk show in Las Vegas, given motivational speeches and made cameo appearances in several movies. His name has been mentioned in connection with several college openings.

He has not completed his staff but is expected to hire Long Beach State assistant John Welch. He played for Tarkanian at UNLV and worked for him as a graduate assistant.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Tarkanian’s Record

College career coaching record of Jerry Tarkanian, who was hired by Fresno State on Wednesday:

Years Team W L Pct. 1969-73 LB St. 116 17 .872 1974-92 UNLV 509 105 .829 Totals 625 122 .837

Career Highlights

* 23 20-victory seasons.

* Four 30-victory seasons.

* 1990 NCAA championship

* Overall tournament record: 34-16

* Worst record: 16-12 (1980-81)