 Knight watches Texas Tech practice in 2007 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 25, 1940 Massillon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | November 1, 2023 (aged 83) Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1959–1962 | Ohio State |
| Position(s) | Forward |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1962–1963 | Cuyahoga Falls HS (assistant) |
| 1963–1965 | Army (assistant) |
| 1965–1971 | Army |
| 1971–2000 | Indiana |
| 2001–2008 | Texas Tech |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 902–371 (.709) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
As player: As head coach:
| |
| Awards | |
| |
| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 1991 | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | |
Medal record | |
Robert Montgomery Knight (October 25, 1940 – November 1, 2023) was an American men's college basketball coach. Often referred to as Bobby Knight and nicknamed "the General", he won 902 NCAA Division I men's basketball games, a record at the time of his retirement and sixth all-time record at the time of his death.[1]
Knight was the head coach of the Army Black Knights (1965–1971), the Indiana Hoosiers (1971-2000), and the Texas Tech Red Raiders (2001–2008).[2] While at Army, he led the Black Knights to four post-season tournament appearances in six seasons, winning two-thirds of his games along the way. After taking the job at Indiana, his teams won three NCAA championships, one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship, and 11 Big Ten Conference championships.[3] His 1975–76 team won the 1976 NCAA tournament, and is the last men's team in Division I college basketball to go undefeated during an entire season (32–0). They remain, as of the end of the 2023–24 season, the last team to be undefeated national champions. In the seven full seasons that he coached at Texas Tech, his teams qualified for a post-season tournament five times. He retired partway through the 2007–2008 season and was replaced by his son Pat Knight at Texas Tech.[4] He later worked as a men's college basketball studio analyst at ESPN.[5][6]
Knight sparked controversy with his outspoken nature and his volatility. He once threw a chair across the court during a game and was once arrested following a physical confrontation with a police officer.[7] He was accused of choking an Indiana player during practice in an incident that was recorded on video,[8][9] prompting the university instituted a "zero tolerance" policy for him. Following a subsequent run-in with a student, he was fired by Indiana University in the fall of 2000.[10]
Knight was one of college basketball's most successful and innovative coaches, having popularized the motion offense. He received national coach of the year honors four times and Big Ten Coach of the Year honors eight times. He was also successful on the international stage, winning gold medals at both the 1979 Pan American Games and the 1984 Summer Olympics with the U.S. men's national team. He is one of only three basketball coaches to win an NCAA title, an NIT title, and an Olympic gold medal. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.
- ^ "Men's DI college basketball coaches with the most wins | NCAA.com". ncaa.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ Walker, Jeff (February 4, 2008). "Exclusive: Knight speaks about retirement decision". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Weber-2023was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "A dark side of Knight". Sports Illustrated. September 10, 2000. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
- ^ "Bob Knight joins ESPN for Championship Week and NCAA Tournament". ESPN. February 29, 2008. Archived from the original on September 22, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
- ^ "Source: ESPN will not renew contract of college hoops analyst Bob Knight". Sports Illustrated. April 2, 2015. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
- ^ "ESPN Classic Sportscentury Biography". ESPN. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
www2.indystar.comwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Firedwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Indiana University Fires Knight". ABC News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.