Bob Knight retires

Bob Knight has unexpectedly resigned tonight from his head coaching job at Texas Tech. This story brings mixed emotions to the surface for many Hoosier fans, myself included. When I was growing up Bob Knight was the face of Indiana, both the University and in many ways the state. His 1987 NCAA title run helped to launch my interest in sports. His teams in the early ’90s were spectacular, but couldn’t catch a break. Knight slowly unraveled in the mid-nineties. His teams were marked by early tournament exits and numerous player transfers. My dad held a long running theory that his teams wore out at the end of the season under the weight of playing for such an intense and confrontational coach. I think there is a lot of truth to this. Maybe it was a generational thing, but more and more players like Neil Reid, Jason Collier, and Luke Recker were opting out.

I got to see Bob Knight coach a full season, my freshman year in college. He was fired at the start of my Sophomore year, leaving Mike Davis at the helm. I wasn’t all that sorry to see him go. Bob Knight is a jerk. It’s that simple. He’s a more outspoken and self-centered version of Bill Belichick. I still resent him greatly because I believe he could have brought several more championships to Indiana if he had been willing to tone down his act. His personality was too overbearing for most recruits. I could go on, but you know the story. I wish I had kinder and better things to say about Coach Knight, but frankly that went out the window when he decided to sue Indiana (and actively screwed over Mike Davis’s recruiting of Sean May). Pat Forde said it best last year when Knight broke the all-time wins record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ukj6Qi5W_k&rel=1

Deshawn Zombie comments: Thanks for that montage of assery, Bob. I need one more reminder of how glad I am that you are gone. Is it too much to ask Indiana to hire a head coach who isn’t either insanely embarrasing, unintentionally embarrasing, or NCAA sanction style embarrasing?