Knight Seemingly Has Tech Support
Over surprisingly mild faculty objections, it appears legendary Bob Knight will become basketball coach at Texas Tech.
Concerns about the combustible Knight, fired last year at Indiana after a series of physical and verbal altercations, were addressed Wednesday by Texas Tech President David Schmidly at a faculty senate meeting on campus.
Schmidly made it clear he favors hiring Knight, 60, then fielded questions from faculty for 25 minutes. Although nearly 100 of Texas Tech’s 900 professors had signed a letter opposing Knight’s hiring, only about 35 faculty members attended the meeting and few voiced concerns.
After Schmidly receives approval from the Texas Tech chancellor and regents, he and Athletic Director Gerald Myers, a former Knight assistant, plan to introduce the coach at a news conference Friday.
“I like Bob Knight a great deal,” Schmidly said. “I believe in second chances. West Texas is a land of second chances. He is one of the best basketball coaches ever, and if we can get him here, we should do it.”
Repairing Texas Tech’s image as a rules-breaker will be part of Knight’s charge. The Red Raiders were docked nine scholarships the last four years, forfeited 10 victories and pulled out of the NCAA tournament in 1997 because two players were not academically eligible.
In 29 years at Indiana, Knight was never sanctioned for violating NCAA rules and his players boasted a higher graduation rate than the student population.
“We’ve had a problem with the NCAA that set us back,” said Schmidly, who became president in August. “I don’t want that to happen again.”
Schmidly also believes Knight’s presence will fill the United Spirit Arena, a 15,050-seat facility built in 1998. Texas Tech went 9-19 last season under Coach James Dickey and drew 4,000 to 9,000 to home games.
“We didn’t spend $60 million on an arena to let it sit half-empty,” Schmidly said.
Students are excited about Knight’s impending arrival.
“I love basketball, but I only went to a few games here this season,” said Clint Proctor, a freshman from San Antonio. “Bring in Bobby Knight and I’ll be at every game. So will my friends.”
Proctor dismissed concerns about Knight’s well-documented short temper.
“Every coach blows his fuse,” he said. “It comes with the game.”
However, the thought of Knight embarrassing Texas Tech by throwing a chair across the court or grabbing a player by the neck in a fit of rage troubled several professors.
“Giving a second chance does not imply that someone’s previous record is completely omitted,” said Edward George, who recounted several of Knight’s incidents at Indiana. “These are the kinds of risks undertaken if going by the previous record.”
Knight’s record is rife with contradiction. He led Indiana to three national championships and is 117 victories short of breaking Dean Smith’s all-time record of 879. Many former players swear by the coach called the General, crediting him with teaching them discipline and infusing a lifelong work ethic.
Yet a a series of disturbing episodes--including one that triggered his firing Sept. 10--reveal Knight’s volatile side.
While under a “zero-tolerance” edict from Indiana administrators because of allegations he choked former player Neil Reed, Knight grabbed the arm of a student who called out, “Hey, Knight! What’s up?” Three days later Indiana President Miles Brand fired Knight, citing other incidents of defiance and insubordination involving the coach.
In 1999, Knight put a chokehold on a restaurant patron who took issue with a racist comment he believed he heard Knight make.
Earlier, Knight head-butted one player during a game, shoved another and kicked his son, a Hoosier reserve. He also fired a blank shot from a starter’s pistol at a Louisville, Ky., reporter.
In 1988, Knight told TV reporter Connie Chung, “If rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it.”
In 1979, Knight was charged, tried, and convicted in absentia for hitting a Puerto Rican policeman before a practice session at the Pan American Games. Knight was sentenced to six months in jail, but the government of Puerto Rico decided eight years later to drop efforts to extradite him.
Myers, the Texas Tech athletic director, witnessed that incident. He was Knight’s assistant coach and remains his close friend.
So certain is Myers that Knight will be hired, he told blue-chip high school recruit Emeka Okafor of Houston to expect a call from the coach later this week.
Knight is at the national junior college tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., where two Texas Tech recruits are playing. He will not comment on his hiring, but he did do some house hunting in Lubbock with his wife two weeks ago.
“Coach Knight expressed to me in sincere terms that he wants a fresh start,” Schmidly said.
A faculty member pointed out that Knight was a problem for more than one Indiana president, who found themselves alternately punishing and apologizing for Knight.
However, Schmidly’s support is unwavering.
“He said he is a teacher whose classroom just happens to be the basketball court,” he said. “Maybe that’s why his kids graduate and his teams win. I ask you, ‘Will higher graduation rates among our athletes hurt our reputation?’ I think not.”
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LOUISVILLE
SLUGGER
Louisville rolled out the red carpet for Rick Pitino, who turned down a late offer from Michigan and agreed to a six-year deal to coach the Cardinals. D6
