BASKETBALL Thoughts on the late Bobby Knight?

[Matt Dossett]

Obviously a hell of a coach and a legend. Being a young buck at the age of 30, I only recall him coaching at Texas Tech. He was an enigma IMO. The players that played for him and stayed with him at IU seemed to love the guy. If you haven't seen it, Outkicks Dan Dakich has a fantastic breakdown with great stories.

Zero chance Bob Knight's antics would fly in today's social climate.

 

[BRaiderDave]

Heckuva coach but a horrible bully. Kinda offsets each other.

 

[Matt Dossett]

 

[SpaceRaider]

No doubt he was successful with his tactics, but I thought he was pretty despicable as a human being. Hopefully I'm wrong with that assessment but when he seemed to make the news it was more for his antics and bullying nature than his team's performance or record. I viewed the players' loyalty as almost a 'stockholm syndrome'

But he did push Kent Benson, as well as others, to excel for him though I thought Benson was a flop in the NBA. Bird left Indiana in under a month but I've never heard much other than Bird was slighted by his older teammates, Benson being one.

Not a fan of Knight. No amount of sentimentaliity can change that.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

Read the book “A Season On The Brink” by John Feinstein. It eventually became a movie with Brian Dennehy playing Knight.

 

[blueraiderJT]

He was from an era that didn't coddle mediocrity nor give special treatment to those who thought they were special. Whatever you got from him, you damn sure earned it. Good or bad. Love him or hate him, he didn't tolerate any BS.

 

[MTFAN61]

I respect a disciplinarian, but not a bully or an intimidator. Knight was all 3. Respect his undefeated season though.
But is he someone I would have wanted to set down & had a beer with? No.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

He was from an era that didn't coddle mediocrity nor give special treatment to those who thought they were special. Whatever you got from him, you damn sure earned it. Good or bad. Love him or hate him, he didn't tolerate any BS.

My favorite Bob Knight quote:
"When my time on earth is gone, and my activities here are passed, I want they bury me upside down, and my critics can kiss my ass! “

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

mean ole sumbeach

good riddance

 

[Brew_Raider]

Relic from a forgotten time.

Preached discipline, but interesting only had it in certain parts of his own life. He won games, never broke NCAA rules and his players progressed academically, but he was a narcissist, petty and couldn’t control his anger.

Definitely would not work today.

I knew/played for several mini-Bob Knights coaching in TN HS / middle schools back in the 80s. It’s funny what we accept as normal given the time. As a player, I fell in line with these coaches w/o question. As an adult, I would punch a coach if he treated my kids the way I saw kids treated growing up.

 

[MTLynn]

Knight wasn't worse than woody hayes

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

Was at McGavock in the 90s.

Had a class with coach Allen who led the McGavock Raiders to the 76 championship. I don’t want to disrespect the man but he was a mean ole codger. 😆

Remembered this after mentioning “mini Bobby Knights”

 

[kingaling42]

 

[blueraiderJT]

Relic from a forgotten time.

Preached discipline, but interesting only had it in certain parts of his own life. He won games, never broke NCAA rules and his players progressed academically, but he was a narcissist, petty and couldn’t control his anger.

Definitely would not work today.

I knew/played for several mini-Bob Knights coaching in TN HS / middle schools back in the 80s. It’s funny what we accept as normal given the time. As a player, I fell in line with these coaches w/o question. As an adult, I would punch a coach if he treated my kids the way I saw kids treated growing up.

That was basically my dad. My pops was born in 33 and grew up with nothing. He learned how to work at an early age and was the oldest of 11 kids. He earned money as a 7 year old to help feed his family. He lied about his age to fight in the Korean war just so he could get paid while getting clothes, a place to live, food and pay on top of that. After that, he went to trade school and eventually went on to own a successful business for over 40 years. Wrote a check for his house, 4 farms and any vehicle he wanted. Never used a credit card. He was one of the toughest dudes I've ever known and was unbearable to live with at times but what he came from was hellish to say the least. Although it wasn't an easy, life with my dad,made me tough, resilient and he gave me a fantastic work ethic. He pushed me beyond myself no matter how I felt about it. That's what it took. He did his job.

That was the generation. Bobby Knight came from. They were hardened men from tough times. You either swam or you sank to the bottom. They were gonna make sure that if you sunk, it was on you. It would not fly today. These kids are not built for this world anymore. If we had a war today that had a draft, 75% of the kids drafted ain't even showing up.

 

[blueboro007]

Before becoming a MT assistant coach and later educator, Jan Stauffer was a grad assistant on the IU 1976 national championship team. I remember talking to him about Knight and he had such loyalty...as did most who stayed around his program and did not quit.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

Before becoming a MT assistant coach and later educator, Jan Stauffer was a grad assistant on the IU 1976 national championship team. I remember talking to him about Knight and he had such loyalty...as did most who stayed around his program and did not quit.

A high school buddy of mine played and started as a freshman at Ole Miss in ‘76 for former Knight assistant, Bob Weltlich.
Being Knight’s 1st chair from ‘71-‘76 must have rubbed off on him because my buddy transferred to Lambuth for his next 3 years. 😂

“he left "because I just couldn't stand to play for someone who doesn't treat us like human beings." The someone is Rebel head coach Bob Weltlich - Knight's assistant last year at Indiana - and, Martindale elaborated, Weltlich refused to let his team eat after road losses at Tulane and Vanderbilt . . .”