There are plenty of college basketball topics worthy of discussion this week: the Memphis Tigers' continued pursuit of a perfect season, Eddie Sutton getting his 800th win, and other interesting storylines as conference seasons hit their midway points. Earlier this week, however, a bombshell launched from Lubbock, Texas overshadowed them all.
Bob Knight, the General, resigned as coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Monday, stating that he would be relinquishing the position to his son Pat. The announcement marked the end - at least for now - of one of the most iconic careers in college basketball, as a coach or player. While Knight coached with an infamous authoritarian style, it was always legitimized by his ability to get the best out of his players.
Winning was everything to Knight, and he did it better than anyone else before him. His 902 career wins rank No. 1 all time, above UNC legend Dean Smith, who finished with 879.
Knight began his coaching career with a stint at Army from 1965 to 1971, leading the Black Knights to three NIT semifinal appearances. A popular anecdote from Knight's tenure at Army was the fact that he coached and mentored current Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Knight is best known, however, for his time as head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. In 29 years in Bloomington, Knight led Indiana to three national championships and five total Final Four appearances. The four-time National Coach of the Year also led the Hoosiers to 11 Big Ten championships.
Knight was less successful in Lubbock, but he did an impressive job considering the historically sorry state of Texas Tech basketball. As coach of the Red Raiders from 2001 to 2008, Knight led his team to the NCAA Tournament four times, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2005. At the time of his departure, TTU was 12-8 overall, going 3-3 in Big 12 play.
To many, Bob Knight's success was counterbalanced by his fierce temper, which manifested itself both on and off the court. Arguably the most famous image of Knight is that of him hurling a chair across the court in disgust during a 1985 game against the Purdue Boilermakers.
Along with the chair toss were countless berating sessions directed at officials, reporters and anyone else who happened to get in his way. In 2004, it was reported that Knight had a verbal spat with the chancellor of Texas Tech at a local supermarket. Part of Knight's appeal was that if somebody was not doing things the way he liked, he would let them know - usually with a loud, obscenity-laden tirade.
Knight's no-nonsense demeanor showed best through his teams' play on the court. His motion offense required players to set screens and move without the ball, creating an attack based on hustle and selflessness. Knight's old-school style was both a throwback to a less flashy time and a statement on the importance of hard work and unity. His teams even looked the part, donning short shorts even while the baggy shorts revolution was in full swing.
Knight's departure is sad for college basketball fans, who will surely miss his priceless sound bites and on-court explosions. His former players must be disappointed as well, though for a few of them, this announcement likely isn't the first thing Knight has ever done to choke them up.
All kidding aside, Knight's eventual dismissal at Indiana was due mainly to the public perception he created of himself through his outbursts.
Knight's tenure in Indiana ended following a run-in with an Indiana student in September 2000. It was reported that the student said to the coach, "Hey Knight, what's up?" Knight then apparently grabbed the student by the arm and gave him a verbal beating. Then-Indiana University president Myles Brand decided that this incident was a violation of the zero-tolerance policy he had set for Knight as a response to reports of him choking a player. Brand asked the coach to resign, but in true Knight fashion, he refused, forcing Brand to fire him directly.
Knight's exit from Indiana was much more dramatic than Tuesday's resignation. Still, his retirement leaves the game without one of its most visible figures and tenacious competitors. It will be strange to watch an NCAA season unfold without Bob Knight involved, but if his son Pat is unable to carry the load at Texas Tech, then who knows? Perhaps the General will be called to make one last big stand.
