John Calipari reacts to death of Bob Knight

The college basketball world lost one of its all-time greats Wednesday when legendary coach Bob Knight passed away at age 83. He spent 29 years of his Hall of Fame career at Indiana, winning three national championships and winning more than 660 games.

In light of his passing, multiple current and former coaches have weighed in. That includes Kentucky coach John Calipari, who paid tribute to Knight on social media Wednesday night.

“Bobby Knight, one of the greatest coaches of all-time, has passed away,” Calipari wrote. “I know his family and the Indiana family are hurting. All of us who love the game of basketball are hurting with them. Rest in peace, Coach Knight.”

Calipari and Knight never faced off as head coaches. Knight had already left Indiana by the time Calipari became Memphis’ head coach, and they never squared off after he headed to Kentucky, either. That said, Knight’s impact on the game of basketball stretches far and wide.

More on Bob Knight’s legendary career

Knight became one of the all-time great college basketball coaches during his 29 years at Indiana. He led the Hoosiers to three national championships, including one in 1976 when they went undefeated. No team has accomplished such a feat since.

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.

All told, Knight totaled a 902-371 record as a head coach at IU, Army and Texas Tech, 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.

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.