The greatest basketball coach in I.U. history and one of the greatest ever. Three national championships and a coaching tree with many, many branches. Also the last undefeated national champ in 1976. It's worth noting that his 1974-75 team also was undefeated until the NCAA tournament, when they lost to KY without their best player, Scott May, who was out with a broken arm. Much beloved and much scorned, the latter brought on himself because of his brusque, go-to-hell manner and, in his later years at IU, his intolerable treatment of his players. He once said in an interview how he wanted to be remembered (not his exact words but the last line is verbatim): When I die, And my time is past, I want to be buried upside down, So my critics can kiss my ass.
When asked if his team didn't have their game faces on..."What the he'll is a game face"...I'm sure you seen the rest. Warrior...win or die. If not, you will next practice...
One of my sports heroes along with Butkus, Bench, Havlicek and Wooden. The influence he had on other notable coaches is incredible. RIP.
I remember when Knight was first hired as HC back in 1970-71 I think. I was in Bedford Indiana when I heard the news. I thought maybe this could be the guy to get the Hoosiers going again. Within a couple of years Indiana was winning big time.
Tim, being both an IU and a ND fan, you may recall that IU hosted ND in Knight's and Digger Phelps' first season. 1970-71. IU won 97-29. I may be a point or two off, but I believe that was the score. ND had a couple of football brothers on the team because of the lack of scholarship athletes. A couple years later, I was there when ND evened the score in Bloomington with John Shumate leading the way.