Jerry Tarkanian released from hospital
Hall of Fame basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian was released from Valley Hospital Medical Center on Monday night after spending almost a week at the facility.
Tarkanian, 84, was admitted to Valley on Wednesday morning after having trouble breathing and suffering from low blood pressure. Tests revealed that the former UNLV coach had pneumonia, and he spent several days in intensive care.
“It’s been a steady improvement,” Lois Tarkanian said of her husband’s condition. “He started getting better Friday, and each day he’s made progress. The doctors were very pleased with how he responded to the treatment.”
Lois Tarkanian said the family’s hope was to have him home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
“He wants to come home,” she said. “We’re obviously going to watch him very closely. But we’re thrilled with this news, and we’re extremely grateful to the doctors and the staff at Valley for the excellent care they have given Jerry.
“We’re also thankful and impressed by the support of the people of Las Vegas. All the phone calls, the cards, the emails we’ve received from the community, it means so much to us. In many ways, we’re such a small community and we’re all family in Las Vegas.”
Tarkanian spent 19 years at UNLV and guided the Rebels to four Final Fours, including the 1990 national championship. In 2013, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
His health has been an issue for several years. In mid-April, he was admitted to the hospital after suffering a mild heart attack and spent 10 days in intensive care.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
