Bob Knight, legendary Indiana basketball coach, dead at 83

Bob Knight, who became one of the best coaches in college basketball history while at Indiana, died at his home, his family announced Wednesday. 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,” Knight’s family said in a statement. “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.  We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend.  

“In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Coach with a memorial contribution to the Alzheimer’s Association or Marian University.”

Knight won three national championships in Bloomington as a coach while adding another one as a player at Ohio State in 1960. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

In his 29 years at Indiana, Knight totaled a 662-239 record — including a 353-151 mark in conference play — as he became the program’s all-time winningest coach. The Hoosiers made it to the NCAA Tournament in all but four of his years as head coach and he led the program to an undefeated season in 1975-76.

Knight played at Ohio State from 1959-62 before jumping into coaching at Cuyahoga Falls (OH) High School for a season. He then joined the staff at Army in 1963 as an assistant coach before becoming the head coach in 1965. During his time at the helm, he took the Cadets to four NIT appearances before departing for Indiana in 1971.

Amid his success on the court, Knight was also known for his share of controversies throughout his career. One of the most famous is when he threw a chair onto the court against Purdue, and he allegedly grabbed a student by the arm in 2000. That led to his eventual firing from Indiana, and he finished out his coaching career at Texas Tech before retiring in 2008. He didn’t return to Assembly Hall until 2020, when he was honored by the program.

All told, Knight amassed a 902-371 record as a head coach, which puts him at sixth on the NCAA’s all-time wins list. In addition to his achievements at the college level, Knight also took the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team to a gold medal.