Glen Gondrezick: 1955-2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009 | 2:08 a.m.

Hanging from the rafters of the Thomas & Mack Center, among the uniforms commemorating the giants of UNLV men’s basketball, is the No. 25 jersey worn by Glen Gondrezick. Affectionately known as Gondo, he was a scrappy player who put up big numbers as a scorer and rebounder and who hustled for loose balls and sacrificed his body on defense.

His performance on the court helped lead the Rebels in 1977 to their first appearance in the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four and earned him a place in the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame. After a career in the National Basketball Association, he became a color commentator for broadcasts of UNLV basketball.

He continued to work on broadcasts even after undergoing a heart transplant in September. On Monday, at age 53, Gondrezick died in a Henderson hospital, reportedly from complications from the transplant. He is survived by two sons and a daughter. A memorial service is set for 11 a.m. today at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Not many collegiate athletes can say they were involved in the inception of a powerhouse program, but Gondrezick was one of those individuals. He was a member of Jerry Tarkanian’s first UNLV recruiting class, in 1973. The Final Four appearance that came four years later sparked a dynasty that would last through the remainder of Tarkanian’s tenure at UNLV.

Shortly before Gondrezick’s uniform was retired in 1997, he told the Las Vegas Sun, reflecting on that Final Four season: “What we did, no one else had done before (at UNLV). We worked so hard. We were so exciting to watch. I don’t want people to forget the past because we’re the ones who started the Runnin’ Rebels tradition. My jersey is representing all the guys from the ’77 team. It’s not my accomplishments, it’s that team’s.”

Gondrezick, and the team spirit he embodied, will be sorely missed.