Bob Knight, the legendary Indiana Hoosiers who is fifth all-time with 902 NCAA Division I men’s basketball games, passed away on Wednesday. He was 83 years old.
Knight leaves behind a complicated legacy, especially where the media is concerned. Following his retirement in 2008, Knight joined ESPN as a men’s college basketball studio analyst during its coverage of the NCAA Tournament. He continued covering college basketball for the Worldwide Leader through the 2014-15 season. But, that is just a microcosm of his crossover with the media, which was a lot more contentious during his famed coaching career.
The controversial coach left behind a complicated legacy to go with his many victories. His tirades became as much a part of his reputation as his coaching acumen. We decided to do a roundup of some of Knight’s media encounters to show just how volatile and colorful he was during his head coaching career, especially with the press.
There was a taste of that in some of his press conferences. During a scheduled NCAA Tournament press conference in 1992, the legendary coach reached underneath his sweater and pulled out a whip.
“Right here is the key to success in coaching,” he said. “I’ve never run across an instrument that can motivate players any better.”
“Can somebody get me a glass of water, please?’ Knight added. “You’ve got to excuse me a minute here while I prepare for practice. I’ve got to get the tip wet. (The whip) works much better when the tip is wet enough.”
A few years later, Knight ranted against an NCAA official who alleged that he wouldn’t be showing up for a postgame press conference during a loss.
“We’ve only got two people that are gonna tell you I’m not gonna be here,” said Knight. “One is our SID and the other is me. Who the hell told you I wasn’t going to be here? I’d like to know. Do you have any idea who it was? Who? They were from Indiana, right? We are from Indiana and you didn’t get it from anybody from Indiana, did you?
“No, I’ll handle this the way that I want to handle it, now that I’m here. You [expletive] to begin with. Now, just sit there, or leave. I don’t give a [expletive] what you do.
“Now, back to the game. Who’s got a question?”
During a press conference, Knight was asked about the term “game face.” Having no idea what it meant, he offered his own interpretation.
After multiple allegations and incidents of verbal and physical abuse against players and students, he was fired by Indiana in 2000. He participated in a sit-down interview with Jeremy Schaap, where perhaps he was the most candid he’s ever been, as he detailed his experience with the Hoosiers and what ultimately led to his firing. Infamously, he told Schaap, “You’ve got a long way to go to be as good as your dad,” who was the legendary Dick Schaap.
He was able to rehab his image somewhat at Texas Tech, where he led the Red Raiders to four NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet Sixteen.
We’ll leave you with Knight at his best.
And here are some of the best soundbites of his career.
Knight is survived by his wife, Karen, and sons, Tim and Pat.
