On November 1, the college basketball world -- the sports world overall -- suffered a sad loss with the death of former Indiana Hoosiers head coach Bobby Knight.
Nicknamed 'The General,' Knight had a legendary career coaching at Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech. He amassed 902 wins over that career, the all-time record for wins when he retired from coaching in 1998 (he still currently stands at sixth most overall). Known mostly for his 28 years at Indiana, Knight won three national championships there, including an undefeated season in 1976, the last undefeated NCAA championship season to this day. He also went to five Final Fours with Indiana, won 11 Big Ten titles there, and coached the 1984 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal. As a player, he also won a national championship at Ohio State.
Of course, Knight was also known for his legendary temper and eccentric personality. With a sardonic sense of humor, his post-game press conferences were often as entertaining as the games that preceded them. He was embroiled in many controversies as well, accused of choking a player, suspended for grabbing a player, suspended for throwing a chair across the court, and many other incidents. But in the end, it was his success and wit that people will remember most.
He was hospitalized earlier in 2023, but his family never disclosed the nature of the illness. Nor did they disclose a cause of death today, but simply posted a brief message on bobknight.com:
Tributes to Coach Knight have been pouring in as 'RIP General' trended on Twitter:
RIP Bobby Knight. https://t.co/kGsSTHx7Bs
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) November 1, 2023
.@realDonaldTrump on the passing of Legendary Coach Bobby Knight… pic.twitter.com/exNjF70i0r
— Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) November 1, 2023
Before Michael Jordan ever played an NBA game, Bobby Knight called him the best player he’d ever seen.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 1, 2023
He was also one of the first celebrities to endorse Donald Trump.
He knew how to pick winners! pic.twitter.com/ZA4rU6cRDU
We’ve lost another ICON, no matter how your felt about some of his antics, Bobby Knight was the real deal.
— GT SD Jack’s 🐰🐰 (@realredsd) November 1, 2023
RIP Bobby…..
God Speed. 🙏🙏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/y63xkqcKyA
Rest in Peace Bobby Knight 🏀 pic.twitter.com/e0P2v97gpS
— Alex Stein #99 (@alexstein99) November 1, 2023
Ron Swanson gets it. RIP Bobby Knight. pic.twitter.com/vB06ysk1nJ
— 🍹 Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock (@kimmie_c_) November 1, 2023
Always sorry to hear about a passing.
— ProsperousUSA (@Prosperous1776) November 1, 2023
Bobby Knight was a transformative character.
On the plus side, he got his players to play to the very best of their ability, the players had to take their education seriously, and he coached the last undefeated NCAA team in 1976.
On the… https://t.co/kuhgBqkdBa
— PopsSpeedo (@PopsSpeedo79) November 1, 2023
Whatever his shortcomings, he was and is a legend.
But we'll let him give this mortal coil a sendoff in his own words:
Bobby Knight was one of a kind:
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 1, 2023
"When my time on Earth is gone and my activities here are passed, I want them to bury me upside down and the critics can kiss my ass." pic.twitter.com/WX8PkDYeIC
Classic Bobby Knight. RIP General.
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