Education
Star Valley High School.
basketball coach basketball player
Star Valley High School.
He was a two-time consensus All-American at the University of Utah and played three seasons with the Philadelphia Warriors. Vern Gardner was a 6"5 forward/center who played at Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyoming and played collegiately at the University of Utah, where he was a second team consensus All-American in 1947 and 1949. Gardner led the Utes to the National Institute of Technology championship in 1947, at a time where this tournament was considered as prestigious as the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament is today.
Gardner was named tournament Most Valuable Player. His number 33 was retired by the University of Utah.
After the completion of his college career, Gardner was selected in the first round of the 1949 Bachelor of Applied Arts Draft by the Philadelphia Warriors. Gardner played three seasons for the Warriors, averaging 8.9 points per game over his career.
Gardner died of a stroke on August 26, 1987.