Former college basketball coach Bob Knight passed away on Wednesday, his family announced. Knight hadn‘t been in good health for several years and was in the hospital in April. He was 83 years old.
"It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family," the Knight’s family statement said. "We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored."
In 1965, Knight became the youngest coach at a Division I school at the age of 24 when he became the coach at Army. Knight is best known for being the coach at Indiana, where he coached for 29 years. He won a school-record 661 games, made the NCAA tournament 24 times, and won three national titles at Indiana. In 1984, he won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Knight was fired from Indiana for “a pattern on unacceptable behavior “ in 2000. In 2001he became the coach at Texas Tech. He led Texas Tech to five 20-win seasons and became the then-winningest Division I men’s coach with 880 wins in 2007.
In the middle of the 2008-09 season, Bob Knight retired. His 902 wins are the most wins all-time for a Division I coach. After retiring, Knight became a college basketball analyst for ESPN. Knight was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991, the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and the IU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
Knight’s passing is a huge loss. He was respected and admired by players, coaches, the media, and fans. He was a mentor and a huge supporter of student-athletes getting a quality education. Rest in Peace, Bob, you will be missed.
(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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