Bob Knight, one of the most legendary coaches in college basketball history, has died at age 83.
In a statement, Knight’s family said he died at his home surrounded by his family.
“We are grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach has requested a private family meeting, which will be honored,” the statement said. “We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him as a beloved husband, father, coach and friend today and forever.”
Knight is probably best known for his outspoken nature and his volatility on and off the field – in the game and in his interactions with people.
In April 2016, he joined former President Donald Trump on stage at a rally in Indiana after supporting him in his ultimately successful White House campaign.
Bob Knight, one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, has died at age 83
Knight supported President Donald Trump in his run for the White House in 2016
Knight led the Indiana Hoosiers to three national championships in 1976, 1981 and 1987
Knight sits in the Hoosiers’ locker room after a game in Bloomington in 1973
In basketball, he will go down as the greatest coach in the history of Indiana University’s storied program, leading the Hoosiers to three national titles.
Tributes immediately poured in for “Coach Knight” on social media
Knight was born in Orrville, Ohio and attended college at Ohio State University from 1959 to 1962.
He played on the basketball team there and helped the Buckeyes win the national title in 1960. Knight also played on the 1961 and 1962 teams that lost in back-to-back title games – both times to the University of Cincinnati.
After his playing career ended, Knight went into the military before becoming a coach – initially with the team at the United States Military Academy (West Point).
With Army, he won 102 games and coached a young Mike Krzyzewski, who later coached Duke and became college basketball’s all-time winningest head coach.
Knight chats with host Jay Leno on an episode of The Tonight Show in New York in April 2002
Knight punished player Daryl Thomas during a game against Wisconsin in February 1984
A rare locker room photo shows Knight talking to his players in Philadelphia
Knight (right) hugs Mike Krzyzewski – Coach K – after the Duke man broke his winning record
Before Indiana, Knight (center) coached in the Army – he is pictured with Bob Cousy (left) of Boston College and Ray Mears (right) of Tennessee in the late 1960s
After seven years in the Army, Knight moved to Indiana and trained there for nearly three decades.
He reached five Final Fours and appeared in three national title games, winning all three.
Knight’s Hoosiers defeated Michigan in 1976, North Carolina in 1981 and Syracuse in 1987.
During his time there, Knight became known as much for his temperament as his success. He famously threw a plastic chair across the court during a game against Purdue, cementing his name in college basketball history.
The chair became a running joke for Knight – the coach once joked that he threw the chair because he saw an old lady on the opposite sideline and that he threw it so she could sit down.
In 2000, Knight’s temper finally got the better of him after CNN Sports Illustrated published an article about how former player Neil Reed claimed the coach choked him during a practice in 1997.
The coach denied the claims, but the network later released footage that appeared to show Knight placing his hands on Reed’s neck.
Fans hold a sign welcoming Knight to the Bloomington Basketball Arena in February 2020
A tearful knight is hugged by his comrades in a ceremony during half-time break in February 2020
Knight speaks with ESPN anchor Dan Shulman at Madison Square Garden in 2009
Knight speaks to his players at the 1998 NCAA tournament, two years before he left the team
Knight sits next to Michael Jordan on the court in Chicago at his retirement ceremony
Indiana University President Myles Brand said he has a “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to Knight’s behavior. When another incident occurred in which Knight grabbed a student’s arm, Brand asked Knight to resign. When he refused, Brand fired him.
The resulting outcry from Indiana students and alumni led to Brand’s effigy burning and 24-hour national media coverage.
Knight took a year off from coaching before moving to Texas Tech in 2001. He coached there until 2008, when he officially announced his retirement.
In addition to his time in college basketball, Knight also coached Team USA at the 1984 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and his 902 career wins are good for the fourth-most wins in the men’s game of all time behind Krzyzewski, former Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim and former Kansas and North Carolina coach Roy Williams.