Bob Knight

Bob Knight (1940-2023)

Teams coached: Army Cadets, Indiana Hoosiers, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Army record: 102-50 (.671)
Indiana record: 662-239 (.735)
Texas Tech record: 138-82 (.627)
Overall record: 902-371 (.709)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  3  (1976, 1981, 1987)
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  28  (1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  15  (1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2005)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four: (1973, 1976, 1981, 1987, 1992)
  • NIT Championships:  1  (1979)
  • NIT Appearances:  8  (1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1985, 2003)
  • NCIT Championships:  1  (1974)
  • NCIT Appearances:  1  (1974)
  • Big Ten Regular Season Champion11  (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993)
  • Helms Foundation National Championships:  2  (1976, 1981)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2001-2008 Texas Tech
1971-2000 Indiana
1965-1971 Army
1963-1965 Army (asst)

Bob Knight Facts

  • Robert Montgomery Knight
  • Born October 25, 1940
  • Died November 1, 2023
  • Hometown: Orrville, Ohio
  • Alma Mater: The Ohio State University (BA, 1962)
  • Played for Hall of Fame coach Fred Taylor at Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes win the 1960 NCAA National Championship (followed by two straight runner-up finishes to Cincinnati in 1961 & 1962)
    • His teammates included future Hall of Famers John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas and his future assistant coach Don DeVoe
  • After one season as the JV coach at Cuyahoga Falls HS (OH), he enlisted in the United States Army and became an assistant coach for the Black Knights men’s basketball team under head coach Tates Locke
    • Became head coach at Army in 1965 at 24 years old, leading the Knights to 102-50 record and four NITs in six seasons
  • Hired in 1971 as head coach at Indiana, where he would win 662 games and three national championships over the course of 29 seasons
    • In just his second season as head coach, the Hoosiers made it all the way to the 1973 Final Four
    • Won his first National Championship in 1976 with what is regarded as one of the best college basketball teams of all-time
      • The Hoosiers went 32-0 en route to the program’s third title; the 1975-76 team is the last such team to finish as undefeated champions
    • Knight would go on to win two more NCAA Championships (1981 & 1987), a NIT Championship (1979) and a total of 11 Big Ten titles
  • Was head coach of the US men’s basketball team that won gold at the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico, and later won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles (a team that included then-college players Michael Jordan and Steve Alford)
    • Previously assisted Henry Iba with the 1972 team that won silver after a controversial loss to the Soviet Union in the semis
  • Controversy followed Knight, with the coach becoming defined as much by his outbursts and combative personality as he was with his success
    • In one particularly notable incident in 1985, Knight threw a chair across the court at Assembly Hall – as the Hoosiers hosted rival Purdue – after receiving a technical foul just five minutes into the game
    • His behavior led to a “zero tolerance” policy enacted by the University; when Knight was accused of roughly grabbing an IU freshman by the arm, he was ultimately fired by IU president Myles Brand on September 10, 2000 after refusing to resign
    • Though he eventually continued his coaching career at Texas Tech and then began a broadcasting career with ESPN, Knight refused to return to IU for a long time and generally would not speak publicly about his time there or his legacy
    • In 2019, Knight and his wife purchased a home in Bloomington and began making some public appearances around the IU campus; on February 8th, 2020, Knight participated in a halftime event honoring the 1980 Big Ten champion Hoosiers, marking his first time in Assembly Hall since his firing in 2000
  • Hired as head coach at Texas Tech in 2001, coaching until 2008 when he retired and handed the program to his son, Pat Knight
    • Went to four NCAA Tournaments and one NIT in the six full seasons he coach at Tech
  • Worked as a college basketball analyst and commentator with ESPN from 2008 to 2015
  • Knight is the only head coach to win an NCAA Title, NIT Title, Olympic gold medal and Pan American Games gold medal
  • The legendary Indiana coach passed away in November 2023 at his home in Bloomington at the age of 83

Bob Knight Coaching Tree

  • Steve Alford (Nevada, UCLA, New Mexico, Iowa, Southwest Missouri State)
  • Murry Bartow (UCLA, South Florida, East Tennessee State, UAB)
  • Chris Beard (Ole Miss, Texas, Texas Tech, Little Rock, Angelo State, McMurry)
  • Bob Bender (Washington, Illinois State)
  • Dave Bliss (Baylor, New Mexico, SMU, Oklahoma)
  • Delray Brooks (Texas-Pan American)
  • Quinn Buckner (Dallas Mavericks)
  • Jim Crews (Saint Louis, Army, Evansville)
  • Dan Dakich (Indiana, Bowling Green)
  • Jene Davis (Furman)
  • Mike Davis (Detroit Mercy, Texas Southern, UAB, Indiana)
  • Don DeVoe (Navy, Florida, Tennessee, Wyoming, Virginia Tech)
  • Bob Donewald (Western Michigan, Illinois State)
  • Dane Fife (Fort Wayne)
  • Lawrence Frank (Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets)
  • Gerry Gimelstob (George Washington)
  • Kyle Isaacs (Arizona Western)
  • Pat Knight (Lamar, Texas Tech)
  • Mike Krzyzewski (Duke, Army)
  • Michael Lewis (Ball State)
  • Tates Locke (Indiana State)
  • Dusty May (Michigan, Florida Atlantic)
  • Tom Miller (Army, Colorado, Cornell)
  • Joe Pasternack (UC Santa Barbara, New Orleans)
  • Kasib Powell (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
  • Mike Schrage (Elon)
  • Mike Schuler (Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Rice, VMI)
  • Marty Simmons (Eastern Illinois, Evansville, SIU Edwardsville, Wartburg)
  • Keith Smart (Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers)
  • Chuck Swenson (William & Mary)
  • Isiah Thomas (FIU, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers)
  • Royce Waltman (Indiana State, Indianapolis, DePauw)
  • Bob Weltlich (South Alabama, FIU, Texas, Ole Miss)
  • Randy Wittman (Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers)
  • Mike Woodson (Indiana, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks)
  • Joby Wright (Wyoming, Miami OH)