LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gary Colson, who successfully lobbied to introduce the 3-point shot to college basketball during a 34-year coaching career that included stops at Fresno State, New Mexico and Pepperdine, died Friday. However, Colson went ahead, and the proposal passed. He was the league's coach of the year in 1976 and was elected to the school's athletic hall of fame in 1996. He was an all-conference player at Lipscomb and was named the Volunteer State Athletic Conference MVP as a senior. Colson authored the books “California Basketball” and “New Mexico Basketball — The System” about the fundamentals of the game.

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Persons: — Gary Colson, Bob Rose, Colson’s, Colson, Norm Stewart, Digger Phelps, Gerald Myers, Gene Bartow, Hall of Famer Dennis Johnson, Luc Longley, Jerry Tarkanian, Dave Bliss, Jim Harrick, Bill Cartwright, Norm Ellenberger, David Lipscomb, Hall of Famer Jerry West, Mary Katherine, Rick, Wade, Garianne, ___ Organizations: ANGELES, Fresno, Pepperdine, Division, Valdosta State, NCAA, Hall of Famer, Chicago Bulls, Fresno State, NAIA, Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, West Coast Athletic Conference, San, Lobos, NIT, Western Athletic Conference, Vanderbilt, Lipscomb, Volunteer State Athletic, Memphis Grizzlies, “ New, “ New Mexico Basketball, AP Locations: Fresno State , New Mexico, Santa Barbara , California, Georgia, Fresno, New Mexico, San Francisco, Arizona, Logansport , Indiana, California, “, “ New Mexico, Japan