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Coach Bob Knight passes away at age 83

Steelers2012

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Jan 5, 2012
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Per thedailyhoosier.com

Bob Knight, a college basketball coaching great who won three national titles at Indiana, an Olympic gold medal, and retired as the game’s all-time winningest coach, has died at the age of 83.

Knight dealt with health issues over the last five-plus years, and he moved back to Bloomington in 2019 to be closer to friends and family.

His relationship with IU was strained for 20 years, but Knight returned publicly to a basketball game at Assembly Hall in 2020.

Head coach Mike Woodson played at IU from 1976 to 1980 and was one of Knight’s favorite players during his time in Bloomington. When Woodson became the Hoosiers coach in 2021, Knight began making regular appearances at Indiana practices, and that turned into a weekly habit in 2023.

Knight was born in Massillon, Ohio in 1940 and raised in nearby Orrville, where he attended high school and played three sports. He was the only child of Carroll (known as Pat) and Hazel Knight, parents who were both around 40 when he was born. His dad was a railroad worker, and his mom was a teacher in Orrville.

After starring on the Orrville basketball team, Knight played at Ohio State under Hall of Fame coach Fred Taylor. He had a role off the bench for the 1960 national champion Buckeyes, and graduated from OSU in 1962.

Knight then went on to coach the JV basketball team at Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) High School for one season before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He accepted an assistant coach position in 1963, and was named the head basketball coach at Army in 1965.

His coaching appointment to West Point made him the youngest varsity coach in college history at age 24. Knight had a 102-50 record during his six seasons (1965-71) at West Point. He guided the Black Knights to four trips to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) (1966, 1968, 1969, 1970) and helped Army to one third-place and two fourth-place showings at the NIT. Knight coached Army to a pair of 20-win seasons, including an Academy-record 22 wins in 1969-70. He also remains one of just two Army basketball coaches to have registered more than 100 wins.

In 1971, Knight was hired by Indiana, where he changed the Hurryin’ Hoosiers into a mentally tough and disciplined team focused on motion offense and man-to-man defense. At IU, Knight went on to win three national championships in his 29 years leading the Hoosiers. His overall record at Indiana was 662-239.

In total, Knight led IU to 11 Big Ten Conference titles, five Final Fours, and a 32-0 undefeated season in 1976. That 1975-76 campaign remains the last undefeated season in men’s college basketball. Indiana made the NCAA Tournament in 24 of Knight’s 29 years at the helm.

During his time in Bloomington, Knight coached 12 Big Ten MVPs, saw 29 players go to the NBA, and 98 percent of his 4-year players graduated.

Knight was named the Big Ten Coach-of-the-Year 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981 and 1989, and the National Coach-of-the-Year by unanimous selection in 1975; Coach-of-the-Year by AP and Basketball Weekly in 1976; 1987 Naismith Coach of the Year; and Coach of the Year by Associated Press, United Press International and United States Basketball Writers in 1989.

In 1984, Knight became one of only three coaches to win the triple crown with an NCAA title, an NIT title, and an Olympic gold medal.

After an unceremonious departure from Indiana in 2000, Knight coached Texas Tech from 2001 to 2008.

In 2008, at Texas Tech, Knight won the 900th game of his career shortly before he retired in February of that year with 902 wins.

Knight is survived by his wife Karen and sons Tim and Pat.
 
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All time great coach for sure.
I get your point. he wasn't a simple man when it comes to off court actions. He was a bully yet caring. He was mean but also had a great humor. He didn't give a shit but he did. What he did for Ryan White (Aides) might be the best example of how complicated he was. RIP coach!
 
Changed the game for the better.
Changed the vast majority of his players for the better
Improved officiating
Coached the three top collegiate teams of all time

RIP
Changed the game for the better. - Agree
Changed the vast majority of his players for the better - Agree
Improved officiating - In what way?
Coached the three top collegiate teams of all time - Dafuq?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Courtsensetwo
Changed the game for the better. - Agree
Changed the vast majority of his players for the better - Agree
Improved officiating - In what way?
Coached the three top collegiate teams of all time - Dafuq?
My guess is, maybe....

1975 IU
1976 IU
1984 US Olympic team

Edit" Officiating---No idea.
 
I'd still take him over Kenny Payne.
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My guess is, maybe....

1975 IU
1976 IU
1984 US Olympic team

Edit" Officiating---No idea.
Knight was far better prepared than the vast majority of officials and they knew they would be called out for errors…mostly process errors of positioning, watching proper progressions or ball watching.

Knight went nuts on officials a lot but he was almost always right and the good ones knew it and learned.

Or at least the objective ones did.

And you got the teams. Pretty obvious.
 
I read that while at Texas tech he was unhappy with his team's season and returned all his salary for that year. I'd like to see some coach do that today.
 
He did.

And Joe B. Hall kept his assistant coach Hamilton from beating the shit out of Bob.

Joe was a better man and coach than Bob, but I liked them both. I root for Kentucky but I liked Bob Knight.
Bwahahahahahahahaha

Joey wasn't a shadow of the basketball mind and coach Bob was

Joey's record of developing men for sucess isn't a shadow of what Bob did.

Joey's impact on the game wasn't a shadow of what Bob's was

Joey was a good coach in Ky.
 
Bwahahahahahahahaha

Joey wasn't a shadow of the basketball mind and coach Bob was

Joey's record of developing men for sucess isn't a shadow of what Bob did.

Joey's impact on the game wasn't a shadow of what Bob's was

Joey was a good coach in Ky.
Joe B wasa very good coach----Be he was nowhere near the coach Knight was. Not even close.
 
There is no and never will be a longer shadow cast over the game of Basketball than that of Bob Knight.

Jay Bilas
 
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