Bob Knight dies, age 83: Basketball world mourns passing of legendary coach

By | November 1, 2023
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Bob Knight, the legendary basketball coach whose outbursts and on-court success made him one of the sports’ most notable figures in college basketball history, died at the age of 83.

In a statement, the Knight family announced he died at his home in Bloomington, Indiana, with his family with him.

“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,” the Knight family said. “We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend.”

Knight achieved much and has countless accolades that make him among the most successful basketball coaches ever. He ranks sixth all time in Division I men’s college basketball wins with 902. He began his coaching career at Army, where he coached future Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. He coached for six years there before he went to coach at Indiana, starting in 1971.

It is for that Indiana tenure that most know Knight. He was three times named Coach of the Year, led the Hoosiers to three national championships, including a perfect season in 1975-76 where the Hoosiers went a perfect 32-0. 

His coaching career was often marked by his outbursts with players, officials, opposing coaches and, at times, other fans. Indiana had to institute a no-tolerance policy after he apparently choked a player in practice. He threw a chair during a game against Purdue and allegedly stuffed an LSU fan in a trash can. In 2000, he was let go by Indiana after he grabbed the arm of a freshman student who called him “Knight.”

Knight went on to coach at Texas Tech in 2001 and did so through 2008. During that time, he became the NCAA’s all-time winningest coach and guided the Red Raiders to 20-win seasons in five of his seven seasons. Texas Tech went to the NCAA Tournament four times during his tenure.

Knight’s passing sent shockwaves across the basketball world. Here’s a look at the reactions from those in the sport:

Coaches

Mike Woodson, Indiana head coach

“It is a profoundly sad day for all of us who loved Coach Knight. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Karen, his family, and to all those who loved him.

“I am so blessed that he saw something in me as a basketball player. He influenced my life in ways I could never repay. As he did with all his players, he always challenged me to get the most out of myself as a player and more importantly, as a person.

“His record as a basketball coach speaks for itself. He will be remembered as one of the greatest ever and his impact on the game of basketball is etched in stone. His teams were always prepared and with him on the sideline, you always believed that he put you in the best position to win. 

“I will always cherish the time we spent together after I played for him. His fierce loyalty to his former players never wavered. I am grateful that he was able to come to our practices after I came back. His presence meant so much to me, our staff, and our players.”

Mick Cronin, UCLA head coach

“On behalf of the UCLA men’s basketball program, I would like to offer our condolences to my friend Pat Knight and the entire Knight family. I was honored to meet Coach Knight and then receive advice from him after he had called several of my team’s games as a broadcaster. He graciously took time to wait and speak with me after those games that he called. I will always cherish those moments where I got to listen to him speak about the game of basketball, as I was just a young coach who he hardly knew. The game of basketball has lost one of the greatest we have seen or will ever see. Rest in peace, Coach Knight.”

Players

Others

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