Just as in life, former college basketball coach Bob Knight remains an enigma in death.
Trying to explain the man to anyone 40 or younger is virtually impossible in this day and age of political correctness.
It’s even tough for those of us who grew up watching Knight in the early days of his coaching career. The one advantage our generation had over the generations to follow was we experienced a little of Bob Knight in our own fathers.
Coach K an Early Student
If the first thought that crossed your mind after reading that was, “Oh, your father choked you and threw chairs at you,” then you’ll never understand Robert Montgomery Knight.
Born in Massillon, Ohio on October 25, 1940, Knight would play mostly as a reserve on some of the great Ohio State Buckeyes teams of the early-1960s, including the 1961 squad that won the national title.
He joined the Army soon after college, and eventually made his way to West Point where at just 24 years of age, he was appointed head coach of the Black Knights.
It was at West Point that Knight’s quick and explosive temper was first exposed. It was also at West Point that he initially coached Mike Krzyzewski before hiring him to be an assistant coach at Indiana in 1974-75.
“Clearly, he was one of a kind,” Krzyzewski said when Knight passed away. “Coach Knight recruited me, mentored me, and had a profound impact on my career and in my life.”
3x NCAA Champs, 1x NIT
The legend of Bob Knight really began after he was hired to take charge at Indiana. The hardware that was added to the Hoosiers’ trophy case over the next 30 years is staggering:
- 3 National Championships in 1976, 1981 and 1987
- 5 Final Four appearances (1973, 1976, 1981, 1987, 1992)
- 11 Big Ten titles, including 4 in a row from 1973-76
Indiana also won the 1979 NIT, and Knight garnered enough individual accolades as national and conference coach of the year to fill his own trophy case. Nowadays, a performance like this would have busted every NCAAB betting site.
Trying to Laugh Off Errors in Judgement
It was also at Indiana where Knight repeatedly found himself embroiled in controversy, becoming a lightning rod that the media helped swell to almost mythical proportions.
Time and time again, Knight endured the ire of university officials in Bloomington, and he rarely helped himself by either offering insincere apologies or words of regret followed by a wink, if he expressed any contrition at all.
“I think there are circumstances that could develop surrounding any human being that would set that human being off in an abnormal way,” Knight said in a 1998 interview. “I think that we all hope that when such a situation would arise that we can control our emotions, or we can react to the circumstances in such a way that doesn’t put either that person or people surrounding them in any kind of a highly embarrassing or difficult situation.”
The cursing, the yelling at officials, the stomping up and down the court, it was all treated as entertainment in the early days, and Knight was able to laugh it off with the media like the time he threw a chair across the court and suggested he was just offering a little old lady his seat.
But there were too many other instances that couldn’t be laughed off, like when Knight choked one of the players, Neil Reed, an act that ultimately led to Indiana firing their legendary coach.
“Bury Me Upside Down”
Knight didn’t remain on the sidelines long after he was sent packing by the Hoosiers, reviving his career at Texas Tech from 2001-08. Knight would take the Red Raiders dancing four times, the last in 2007 when they exited in the first round after a loss to Boston College.
While Knight the man was often a mess, his ability as a coach was anything but. He stressed defense over offense and was a master at both developing a game plan and adjusting during games. He demanded discipline from his players, the irony being Knight often displayed no self-discipline at all.
When Knight passed away on November 1, 2023, his many critics came out en masse to roast the man one last time. The vilifications were both expected and deserved.
On a personal note, my thoughts were about a man who taught me a lot about the game of basketball, especially during his short tenure as a broadcaster, and a man whose imperfections were also a great teacher. And I couldn’t help but wonder if they ultimately honored his wishes.
“When my time on earth has gone, and my activities here are passed,” Knight told the crowd at Assembly Hall in 1994, “I want they bury me upside down, and my critics can kiss my ass!”
