Former University of Arizona basketball coach Bruce Larson in the Bear Down Gymnasium where he coached before the team moved to McKale Center. Tricia McInroy / Tucson Citizen

Sad to hear that Betty Larson, wife of Arizona head basketball coach Bruce Larson, 1961-72, died last month. She was 85. Betty and Bruce met at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher more than 60 years ago; he was the basketball coach and a zoology teacher; Betty was in his zoology lab. They raised five children during their 61 years of marriage as Bruce served on the UA faculty and became the TV analyst for UA broadcasts with Dave Sitton. Bruce arrived at Arizona from Fargo, North Dakota, in 1950, bent on playing catcher for UA baseball coach Frank Sancet. Instead, he became a coach, helping Weber State win the 1959 NJCAA national championship before returning to Tucson with Betty and his young family. 


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Contact sports columnist Greg Hansen at 520-573-4362 or ghansen@tucson.com. On Twitter: @ghansen711