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When one of those legendary, larger-than-life characters dies, it always gets people’s attention. One of the most controversial and colorful legends in college basketball history, Bob Knight, has passed away.
Knight was 83. He had been dealing with health issues for several years, and one illness put him in the hospital in April.
« It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family, » a statement from Knight’s family 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. »
Knight began his head coaching career at Army in 1965 as the youngest head coach in college basketball at age 24. But he’s best known for his stint at Indiana, where he amassed an astonishing record.
Bob Knight has passed away at the age of 83.
1x NCAA Champion (player)
3x NCAA Champion (coach)
5x Final Four
11x Big Ten Champion
3x AP Coach of the Year
1x Naismith Coach of the Year
1991 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee
A true legend. pic.twitter.com/7GSDd1y3Ty— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 1, 2023
Knight won four national championships — one as a player at Ohio State in 1960 and three as head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. His most impressive feat was coaching the 1976 Hoosiers team, which went undefeated at 32-0. That team is the last undefeated team in NCAA basketball to date. He also coached the last all-amateur U.S. Olympic team to win a gold medal in 1984.
His teams had reputations for hard work, discipline, and high graduation rates. Knight, however, courted controversy with his outsized personality and sometimes bombastic antics.
« He was a complex man and had a lengthy record of outbursts over the years, » ESPN reports. « He was charged and later convicted for hitting a policeman in Puerto Rico, he headbutted Indiana player Sherron Wilkerson while screaming at him on the bench, he was accused of wrapping his hands around a player’s neck and he allegedly kicked his own son.
