According to Tark the key to success is motivation. “You have a good chance of getting your goal if you give it everything you’ve got. Basketball is the best test of work ethic and desire. Every day is a test.” Along with developing an attachment and commitment with his players to the community he also demanded much of them on the court. This requires not only physical conditioning, but mental and emotional as well. When playing an away game and 20,000 people are booing you and calling you names and possibly throwing things at you, you must be able to count on your teammates and look for guidance with the coach in order to perform under pressure. This trust tightens team bonds. “To be successful, you must play through the comfort zone. Your desire must take over in order to take your game to the next level”. Every player hits that comfort zone. It happens when you’re sore, out of breath and thoroughly exhausted. At this point it comes down to the individual to stay motivated and the coach to hit their ‘hot button’. Every player has one and it’s the coach’s job to be able to find it. When the team was suffering and tired and losing motivation, Tark would use everything in his arsenal to hit the hot buttons of every player on the court. Tark was innovative and a visionary. While coaching at CSU Long Beach Tark challenged the NCAA several times by having more than three players to start the game who were African American. Over the years Tark has also recruited players throughout his career from junior colleges for players with less than favorable academic and criminal histories. The response that followed these players at Fresno State was astounding. Although Fresno was and still is a more conservative city, these players were respected and honored for their talents. Tarkanian also recruited players of greater talent than Fresno State had ever seen including Courtney Alexander, Melvin Ely, Chris Jeffries, Chris Herren and Rafer Alston, all of whom eventually joined the NBA. Throughout his coaching career at Fresno State, there were only a handful of incidents which drew police attention. Many fans admired Tark for taking on the challenge of training somewhat troubled young men. It was amazing how he could find talent and pull that special drive out of these individuals. However, due to many rule violations and allegations investigated by the NCAA forty nine wins were removed from Tark’s record. Allegations on point shaving performed by several players drew the attention of Fresno State fans and much loyalty was lost. As Tark stepped down, Fresno State was still dealing with many investigations.
Ray Lopes entered the Fresno State scene as head coach in 2003 and lasted through 2004. During his time he led the Bulldogs through two winning seasons in their brand new arena. However, Lopes also contributed to the list of allegations imposed by the NCAA for recruiting violations. Fresno State received four years of probation. In 2004, 21 year old guard for the Bulldogs, Terry Pettis, was charged with murder and armed robbery. He was tried and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2006. Since 2005 former BYU coach Steve Cleveland has been the head coach for the Bulldogs. Cleveland has had a daunting task set before him. With scholarships and funding lost to the program, Cleveland has been struggling to rebuild what once was at Fresno State institution. With a total record of 78-81 Fresno State is performing at a less than favorable level. Something that Fresno State should be thankful for is that he has not contributed to any more allegations and in 2006 Cleveland took the Bulldogs to third place in the WAC with a 22-10 record for that season. We are a society of believers. As Fresnans we believe in the underdog and that with hard work much can be accomplished. It is what sets us apart from our competition. Fresno has had a taste for what it is to be a contender but something has happened to society. The support in the community that used to be so strong and thriving is now dormant but not dead. The red wave has been dealt some hard blows over the years to say the least. The sense of pride that was its backbone has been stripped away leaving a shell of its former self. My advice is for Cleveland to reconnect with the community and give them something they can believe in again. We have a sports program here in this community which represents this changing of the guard. With the penalties and restrictions imposed we are left crippled. Even with a potentially great leader for the Bulldogs like Cleveland the budget has decreased so greatly that pulling together an effective team that can compete with other schools in the WAC is an imposing challenge. After all, what is the return on investment for a great ball player to join Fresno State?
“The support in the community that used to be so strong and thriving is now dormant but not dead.”
Photo Credit: (top & left) Sports Illustrated (right) ESPN/AP Photo (bottom) ESPN
MARCH / APRIL 2011
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