Tarkanian , the son of Armenian immigrants , was born in Euclid , Ohio in 1930 . His mother , Rose , was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide . Tarkanian 's maternal grandfather , Mickael , was an Ottoman government official who was beheaded by Turkish authorities . Mickael 's son was also decapitated by the same authorities . Fearing for their lives , Rose and the rest of her siblings eventually escaped the Ottoman Empire and settled in Lebanon where Rose met George Tarkanian . The couple married and moved to the United States . However , Jerry 's father died when he was 13 . By this time , Jerry showed his interest in sports , but his stepfather disapproved of his involvement with sports , while his mother encouraged him to pursue it . A graduate of Pasadena High School , he initially attended Pasadena City College in California and played basketball at the college in the 1950 – 51 season . Tarkanian then transferred to Fresno State College , where he played basketball for the Bulldogs in the 1954 – 55 season as a backup guard . After graduating from Fresno State College in 1955 , he earned a master 's degree in educational management from the University of Redlands
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Jerry Tarkanian