Bob Knight Resigns
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Houston Chronicle reports that Bob Knight resigned today as basketball coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. His resignation is effective immediately:
“Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Bob Knight stepped down Monday as head the Red Raiders head coach, school officials confirmed.
Knight, who became the first male coach in Division I history to reach 900 career wins last month, apparently gave no indication to the school that he was leaning in this direction until some time early Monday afternoon. Last year, Knight became the all-time winningest Division I coach when he hit 880 victories after 40 seasons.
Knight has spent the last six years coaching at Tech, but he most well known for his tenure at Indiana from 1971 until he was fired in 2000. Knight, who’s 41-year career comes to an with a 902-371 career record, had one year remaining on his current contract with Tech.
Knight’s son, Pat Knight will succeed his father as the head coach of the Raiders. He has been the head coach designated since 2005 and under that deal automatically gets a five-year contract. “
I guess Knight accomplished all he wanted to and he’s decided to turn the reins over to his son Pat. It’s strange to do it in mid-season, though, and it makes me wonder if there’s more to this story. The Red Raider fan sites think it may be health-related.
Then again, it could be classic Bob Knight.
EDIT: Come to think of it, here in West Texas we’ve had more than our usual number of dust storms the past two weeks. Maybe he got sick of the dirt. I wouldn’t blame him for that.
— DRJ
Having been forced to endure the Bobby Knight show here in Indianapolis, nothing can surprise me when it come to Robert Montgomery Knight. Nothing. I hope it is not his health.
JD (fc7319) — 2/4/2008 @ 6:18 pmFWIW – In college, I met Coach Knight when they were in town to lose to my Illini. I got to talk to him, one on one, and I was alternatively in awe, and scared shitless. He was a great person, one on one.
JD (fc7319) — 2/4/2008 @ 6:29 pmI know several down-to-earth people that aren’t easily star-struck who know Coach Knight and really like him, but then you hear some of the things he’s done and you wonder how anyone could like him. It’s mystifying.
DRJ (517d26) — 2/4/2008 @ 6:38 pmHe was one of the most intimidating and impressive people I have ever sat down and talked with. And, his antics have never squared with that individual I met on that Saturday afternoon at the Assembly Hall. Having said that, after years of him here in the midwest, I am glad someone else has had to deal with him. This will still lead the news tonight here in Indy.
I would love to go golfing with him. If you ever want to see something hysterical, watch the out-takes from the golf show he used to do in Bloomington.
JD (fc7319) — 2/4/2008 @ 6:41 pmbobby knight may have more regular season wins, but john wooden is still the greatest coach in the history of college basketball.
assistant devil's advocate (205351) — 2/4/2008 @ 7:20 pmAnd on that note, the world quit spinning, and ada and I are in agreement. 🙂
JD (fc7319) — 2/4/2008 @ 8:18 pmYeah, but would you agree on who the greatest player is?
MJ.
DRJ (517d26) — 2/4/2008 @ 8:21 pmThe conversation begins, and ends, with Michael Jordan. Anyone who argues anything else will be diminished in my eyes. Same goes for arguing against Wooden, a truly inspiring person, should you ever have the chance to hear him speak.
JD (fc7319) — 2/4/2008 @ 8:26 pmby the time he retired from the pros, yes, mj was the greatest of all time, but this was not yet evident at the time he left north carolina; as you may recall, he was drafted third in his class, behind akeem olajuwon and sam bowie (!)
assistant devil's advocate (205351) — 2/4/2008 @ 9:18 pmada, it would have been hard for anyone to take MJ over hakeem olajuwon in that draft. And, while the history of the two shows MJ to be a better player, HO got two rings too, and would have gotten more with a bit better cast, one not so selfish. MJ was mixed with a solid group of understanding players, much like the Patriots have been the past 8 years, and much like the Giants showed this past 8 weeks….whatever it takes to win…
reff (99666d) — 2/4/2008 @ 9:23 pmP.S…MJ is/was the greatest of all time, with Bill Russell a VERY close second…Russell would have been a star in this generation…
reff (99666d) — 2/4/2008 @ 9:24 pmreff – The only reason “The Dream” got his rings was that MJ decided to try his hand at baseball. Otherwise, we will never know how many in a row the Bulls would have won.
JD (fc7319) — 2/4/2008 @ 9:28 pmI cannot dispute your statement. Not sure if MJ would have played all those extra years if he had played those two and gotten, what, 7 in a row?
reff (99666d) — 2/4/2008 @ 9:38 pmThat would have been 8. The Bulls had a 3-peat on either side of The Dream’s 2 rings.
I do agree, that he may have retired sooner if he had not taken those couple years off.
JD (fc7319) — 2/4/2008 @ 9:42 pmHe was a great coach!
NO; he was an asshole!
So what’s yer point?
Actually he was both, there is ample evidence of such.
One really neat thing I heard today was that even though he was a HC during the big mess, there was never a single charge against him for recruiting violations.
That alone speaks volumes!
Oh and Jordan still pushed off on Russel in the finals of 98 robbing the Jazz of their earned ring!
But superstars seem to still get a pass for such.
One can watch two currents, LaBron and Koby.
Oh and I’d almost bet that Knight was awed by jordan’s more than perfect play. But he was a coach, so as well can take credit for teaching him more on his way to the top. (another rung in the ladder)?
All is well, I wish Pat the best it seems as though dad insured his kid of a pretty good job.
Hats off to all.
TC (1cf350) — 2/5/2008 @ 3:03 amIU hasn’t had much of a record since Miles Brand railroaded him out.
Hazy (c36902) — 2/5/2008 @ 7:00 am