Rebel with a Cause: The True Story of Jerry Tarkanian

by Danny Tarkanian, Christina DeBusk (Editor), Rodney Miles (Editor)

In this, the definitive biography of Hall of Fame inductee and one of college basketball’s most controversial and successful coaches, son Danny Tarkanian takes us through a first-hand accounting of the life, controversy, and triumphs of historic UNLV coach Jerry “The Shark” Tarkanian.From his immigrant roots through his own school days as an athlete, through the continual conflict with the NCAA and the eventual shocking outcome, with play-by-play action of the greatest games, and with a first-hand account of finally breaking through to win a national championship, Rebel with a Cause puts to rest the lies and establishes at last a worthy testimony to the life of this great man. Written with stunning and engaging clarity and studded with excitement and celebrity, this is the first-hand account of Jerry’s son, Danny, as he himself lived and observed. Rebel with a Cause takes us vividly through a remarkable life, expounds on winning principles, cherishes family and friends, and in the end, satisfies.

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 3, 2020

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading, I’m clear as to two things: 1) Coach Tarkanian was a great basketball coach for several reasons - he was known to recruit athletes with troubled backgrounds aiming to give those players a better chance in life’s journey, and his practice, preparation, offensive and defensive sets were second to none. 2) The NCAA is a vindictive organization that tried to derail Coach Tarkanian for over 40 years. The fact that Coach Tarkanian was able to have the last laugh at their expense is a testament to the success he had as a principled coach.

[Matt M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerry's son doth protest too much, methinks. Spending half a chapter explaining why Jerry isn't bad because John Wooden actually cheated more is probably overkill. Although, I respect a son for wanting to defend his dad. This should really be 3.5 stars but I'll round up for that. If you can get past the parts where he tells you why Jerry was more important for civil rights than MLK, then you should be able to enjoy the book. He's definitely a hugely underrated coach and such an interesting character that it made for a pretty enjoyable read for a big basketball fan.

[icy mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tark and Lute did not like each other