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School confirms departure; son Pat takes over team Posted: Monday February 4, 2008 7:30PM;
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Bob Knight resigned Monday at Texas Tech, a stunning midseason move by the winningest men's coach in major college basketball.
"He said he was tired and that it was best to go ahead and do it now," Texas Tech chancellor Kent Hance told The Associated Press. "I think Bob is through with coaching. I think he got to the point where it wasn't fun for him."
Known as much for his fiery temper as his basketball brilliance, Knight gave no hint a change was coming. He will be replaced by his son, Pat, a Red Raiders assistant.
The 67-year-old Knight informed Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers of his decision in a meeting around noon, Hance said. Knight then called Hance and told him.
"He thought about it Sunday all day and talked to his wife and decided 'This is something I want to do,"' Hance said.
The Red Raiders beat Oklahoma State 67-60 on Saturday, giving Knight his 902nd victory.
Knight was not available for comment Monday, said Randy Farley, a spokesman for the Texas Tech basketball program.
The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal first reported the resignation.
In September, Knight signed a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2011-12 season. In 2005, Pat Knight was appointed his father's successor.
Bob Knight has 902 career wins, more than any coach in the history of Division I men's basketball. Win No. 900 came last month against Texas A&M.
Knight arrived at Texas Tech in March 2001, six months after being fired by Indiana for what school officials there called a "pattern of unacceptable behavior."
In his first six years at Tech, he led the Red Raiders to five 20-win seasons, a first at the school. They are 12-8 this season. Texas Tech's next game is Wednesday night at Baylor.
Knight passed former North Carolina coach Dean Smith as the winningest Division I coach Jan. 1, 2007, getting career win No. 880. To celebrate the milestone Knight chose My Way by Frank Sinatra, a mantra for how he navigated his personal and professional worlds.
"Bob is kind of a funny guy. He always loved that song `My Way,' and this is another example," Hance said.
Knight has been a head coach for 42 years at three Division I schools. He got his 100th victory at Army, then moved to Indiana, where his Hoosiers went 662-239 and won three national championships from 1971-2000.
His first NCAA title came in 1976 when Indiana went undefeated, a feat no team has done since. In 1984, he coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in Los Angeles.
He began his coaching career in 1965 at Army, where at 24 he was the youngest-ever Division I coach. Knight won 20 or more games in 29 seasons.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
-------------------- The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits Posts: 10204 | From: NYC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I remember hearing about when Knight took a crap at half time, and brought the used toilet paper to show his Indiana players what they were playing like.
I don't like Knight, but it's been fun hating him.
And not many coaches out there have as high of a graduation rate for his players as Knight did.
Posts: 2634 | From: The highway | Registered: Feb 2004
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He was a great coach. Some of his teaching methods may have been suspect but not his knowledge of the game. Would have loved to play for a coach like him.
-------------------- The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits Posts: 10204 | From: NYC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I did, in high school...another my-way-or-the-highway kinda guys, which ain't so bad...but I can't hang with the nutty stuff. He tried to start a fight one day, insulting the best coach I ever had, who was a nat'l champion player from UT...and a gentleman. He looked at the nutball-genius and said simply, "Where I come from, we say 'Sir,' then turned and walked away...class act.
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Good story Tex. I played for some tough coaches and I always appreciated them whether or not i agreed with them because they made me a better player. It always drove me crazy when I had coaches who would let players slack off. I'm not defending Knight because he lost it later on in his career when he couldn't control and bully everyone anymore.
-------------------- The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits Posts: 10204 | From: NYC | Registered: Mar 2006
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If you had a coach like Knight... then you haven't lived 'till you took a pimp slap to the side of your dome.
Posts: 2634 | From: The highway | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by T e x: Maybe his son will carry on with knowledge of the game without the bully-boy antics...
Hopefully.
-------------------- The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits Posts: 10204 | From: NYC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Winning coach, for sure...but not a great coach, imo. Here's why: Hopeably, most who played under him recognize they need to extract the game knowledge without the bully-boy, outlandish antics--but surely some will have been influenced to carry on in that act-out, nutball style... A great coach teaches not only love and respect for the game but also love and respect for humans who play and watch--including ways to deal with anger.
For a coach/player comparison? Talented, precocious, and nutzzzzzz: I'd say he was the same sorta coach that Joe Don Looney was a player...
[ February 05, 2008, 01:48: Message edited by: T e x ]
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Agree again. I imagine he blew out a lot of players over the years that just quite basketball.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
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