Former Husky Coach Marv Harshman Passes Away

A true Husky Legend has left us today as Marv Harshman has passed away at the ripe old age of 95. Harshman had a long and storied history in the Pacific Northwest, and in the coming days we'll take a closer look at his career and his legacy. For those that don't know much about him, here's a brief summary:

• A graduate from Lake Stevens H.S., he went on to become a multi-sport start at Pacific Lutheran University, twice winning All-American recognition in basketball and being selected 134th overall in the 1942 NFL draft.
• After a stint in the Navy, he began coaching at his alma mater, heading up the Lutes' basketball team from 1945-1958; he was also tapped to coach the football team starting in 1951.
• He was then hired away to coach basketball for Washington State, replacing their legendary coach Jack Friel, and compiled a 151-185 record including three runner-up finishes to John Wooden's UCLA teams.
• In a move that infuriated Cougar fans, he was then lured west to coach the University of Washington, replacing Tex Winter; he coached the Huskies for 14 seasons before being unceremoniously forced into retirement following the 1984-85 season, having won consecutive Pac-10 titles. He compiled a 246-146 record with Washington, with three NCAA Tournament appearances and two NIT bids.

A quick list of notable Huskies he coached:

• Steve Hawes
• Louie Nelson
• James Edwards
• Lars Hansen
• Lorenzo Romar
• Detlef Schrempf
• Christian Welp
• Paul Fortier

We'll have more retrospectives in the coming days. RIP Marv.A longtime fixture in Pacific Northwest sports and one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history, Marv Harshman has passed away today at the age of 95.