A legendary Pasadena basketball coach will be honored in an event that will see him reunite with many of the players he coached over the last fifty years at the Brookside Country Club on October 16. George Terzian, who coached two CIF Southern Section championship teams in the late 70s and two others teams to […]
A legendary Pasadena basketball coach will be honored in an event that will see him reunite with many of the players he coached over the last fifty years at the Brookside Country Club on October 16.
George Terzian, who coached two CIF Southern Section championship teams in the late 70s and two others teams to CIF finals appearances, finished his career with Pasadena High School with an overall record of 383-110.
He then went on to lead Pasadena City College to seven consecutive state playoff appearances throughout the 80s, also accumulating over 300 wins along the way.
Local legends such as Darnell Fletcher, Dale Cook, Forest McKenzie and Chris Holden are among the many coached by Terzian.
“To play for George Terzian was pretty amazing because playing for Terzian was like playing for John Wooden of high school basketball back in the day,” former Pasadena High School player and current Maranatha High School coach Tim Tucker told the Pasadena Star-News in 2012.
Terzian, an already-decorated coach who has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, will see five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper — a former player of his who went on to play for the Showtime-era Los Angeles Lakers — attend the ceremony.
One of Terzian’s teams — the 1979 Pasadena High School Bulldogs who won the CIF Championship — later traveled to Spain that year to compete for the World High School Basketball Championship and won. Terzian was subsequently crowned the California State Coach of the Year.
The ceremony will also feature a silent and live auction that will donate proceeds to the Lifeline Community Economic Development, a nonprofit organization that provides free food and counseling for over 200 people in need a month, according to media reports.
The event will be start at 4 p.m. at 1133 Rosemont Ave. Tickets for the event will be $65 each or two for $100. To RSVP, please call 323-833-0221.
