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Marvel K. Harshman
Fullback/End
Pasco Naval Flyers/San Diego Navy/Tacoma
Indians
(1942 - 1946)
Before becoming a legend of
Northwest basketball, Marv Harshman was one of the most
dangerous weapons of the Pacific Lutheran football team that
won 18-straight games from 1939-1941. He was the
highest scoring college football player on the west coast in
1940 and earned All-America accolades in 1941. The
Chicago Cardinals selected him in the 15th Round of the 1942
NFL draft at #134, the equivalent of the 5th Round today.
The Steelers and Eagles also showed strong interest as the
telegrams below show.
Later, playing military football
during the war, he and fellow "Marvelous Marv's" cohort Marv
Tommervik led teams to greatness. Immediately upon
graduation from PLU, Harshman was signed on to play with the
Pasco Naval Air Base Flyers, making it one of the toughest
northwest military teams in 1942 in both football and
basketball. During his three years of Naval service
during WWII, Harshman landed with the San Diego Navy team
that defeated the unbeaten 1945 University of Southern
California Trojans (USC). It was following the war that
Harshman, a former 3-sport standout was hired to coach
basketball at his alma mater. During his tenure, there
he would also coach football, track and take on the position
of Athletic Director.
It was while coach in 1946 that the
Tacoma Indians came calling on the "Marvelous Marv's"
wanting them to play. Eventually, and with a $2000.00
incentive and $7800.00 salary for the season, Harshman
agreed to play for the Indians instead of the AAFC's New
York Yankees. At 28, Harshman used the money with his
wife to buy a set of furniture and start their lives in
Tacoma. That would be his final year of football, but
his legend was just beginning. As a basketball coach
he would be named Pac-8 Coach of the Year (1976), Pac-10
Coach of the Year (1982, 1984) and Kodak Coach of the Year
for Division 1 (1984). He led the PLU team to the NAIA
Championship (1959), and was seven times, NAIA District 1
Coach of the Year. He coached the Gold Medal winning
USA team at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City, and
enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
in April 1985. Pacific Lutheran University honored him
in 1990 as the first member of the school's Hall of Fame.
For his career, he was 642-448 as head basketball coach.
In 2010 he was inducted into the Snohomish County Sports
Hall of Fame having been a Lake Stevens graduate in 1935.
Marv Harshman found his greatest
success as a basketball coach at the college level, but had
it not been for the break out of war, Harshman could have
easily been a legend of the professional gridiron instead as
evidenced by the bidding war he commanded in 1946 as a
28-year old "rookie".
Football Career:
1939-1941 - Pacific Lutheran Lutes -
All American (1941)
1942 - Pasco Naval Air Base Flyers
1945 - San Diego Navy
1946 - Tacoma Indians
1945 - 1950 - Pacific Lutheran
University (Assistant Coach)
1951 - 1957 - Pacific Lutheran
University (Head Coach - 27-26-2)
Basketball Head Coach:
1945 - 1958 Pacific Lutheran University
1958 - 1971 Washington State University
1971 - 1985 University of Washington
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