BLOOMINGTON, In. — Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight won his way, demanding perfection with a fiery approach that was as controversial as it was successful. He ushered in the era of the motion offense and used a stingy, havoc-creating defense to turn Indiana’s struggling program into a perennial national championship contender.
Tom Abernethy was a starter for Knight’s 1975-76 undefeated national championship team. He said, “I think Coach Knight may have influenced the game more defensively than offensively, the way he stressed our pressure defense, and then I guess how it would change the game. It (the motion offense) is not as predictable because you’re reading opportunities.”
Current IU head coach, Mike Woodson, was also one of Knight’s players. The Indiana native played for the Hoosiers from 1976 until 1980. When he took over as head coach at his alma mater in 2021, he was asked about replacing Knight. He said, “I can never replace Bob Knight and all the things that he’s done over the years for Indiana University basketball. I’ve said it time and time again: Indiana University basketball is Bob Knight.”
Coach Knight earned the respect of not only those who played for him, but those who coached against him.
Gene Keady coached up the road in Lafayette, Indiana at Purdue from 1980 until 2005. He said he always knew what to expect when playing one of Knight’s squads. Keady said, “We wanted everything done a certain way, and I knew when we played Indiana, you better be prepared to execute and rebound and get back on defense.”
Keady became the winningest coach in Purdue history with 493 victories and second winningest coach in Big Ten Conference history, only behind his friend and rival, Knight.
Another Hall of Fame coach, Jim Calhoun, who led the University of Connecticut from 1986 to 2012,echoed what many say about the man known as “The General.” Calhoun said, “We had respect for each other. He was obviously one of the greatest coaches of all time and a dominate man in our sport. He was tough on his players, some would call it tough love. I didn’t play for Bob, I watched him coached. I was amazed by an incredible tactician. My memories of Bob was he was a great coach, really cared about people, was a guy who you may have heard other things about, but his players did love him.”
Steve Alford, like Mike Woodson, is an Indiana native who played for Knight and got into the coaching ranks as well. Alford and Knight would lead the 1987 Hoosiers to a national championship. It was Knight’s third and final national title (1976, 1981 and 1987). Alford, who coaches the Nevada Wolfpack, said of Knight, “He’s the best coach there is ... If I had to lose, I would only want to lose to him.”