Former FS Assistant Basketball Coach Jim Thrash dead at 77

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) Fresno State Men's Basketball lost a legendary figure this past week. Former Bulldog Assistant Coach Jim Thrash passed away at the age of 77 on Friday. Although former Head Coach Boyd Grant is credited with leading the Bulldogs to an NIT Title in 1983, it was Thrash who was in charge of recruiting that championship team.

Fresno State posted three consecutive 20 win seasons from 1981 to 1983, including a 27 3 record in 1982, which included an appearance in the NCAA Tournament's "Sweet 16." As the chief recruiter for the Bulldogs, Thrash recruited four players, Rod Higgins, Ron Anderson, Bernard Thompson and Pete Verhoeven, who went on to highly successful careers in the NBA.

Born in Farina, Illinois, in 1946, Thrash would earn 12 varsity letters in four sports. Graduating from La Grove High School in Farina (IL) in 1964, Thrash attended Thornton Junior College (Harvey, IL), where he earned five letters in three sports. He would go on to Eastern New Mexico University and play basketball on a pair of teams that won 46 of their 57 games and advanced to the NAIA National Championship finals before graduating with honors in 1969.

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