Legendary College Basketball Coach Bob Knight has passed away at the age of 83. He suffered from dementia and had been in ill health for the last several years.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family,” Knight’s family said in a statement.
Knight won three national titles as Head Coach of Indiana, including one undefeated season. He is the sixth-winningest coach in Division I men’s college basketball history.
Knight was also well known for his bad temper, countless on-court outbursts and bombastic personality.
Knight, who was nicknamed “the General”, won 902 NCAA Division I men’s college basketball games. He is the sixth-winningest coach in history.
Knight was the Head Coach of the different colleges, but is most well-known for his time with the Indiana Hoosiers from 1971 to 2000. He also coached at Texas Tech (2001–2008) and at Army (1965–1971).
As Head Coach at Indiana, Knight won a school-record 661 games and reached the NCAA tournament 24 times in 29 seasons. He never had a losing record while winning or sharing 11 Big Ten titles and reached five Final Fours.
Knight was a stickler for following NCAA rules despite his own penchant for going against authority. His players went to class and, if they stayed all four years, usually graduated.
Knight was born in 1940. He grew up in Orrville, Ohio and was a prep basketball, baseball and football star at Orrville High School.
He went on to play collegiately at Ohio State. The Buckeyes won the national title in 1960 (Knight was 0-for-1 with one personal foul in a 75-55 win over California in the title game and averaged 3.7 points as a sub that season).
Knight was hired as Army’s Head Coach at the age of 24. His final stop as a Head Coach was at Texas Tech. Knight retired from coaching on February 4, 2008.
The legendary Head Coach was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Legendary College Basketball Head Coach Bob Knight. Photo courtesy of CNN
