A General Moment
- Thread starter Imsowyctcwuzbetta
- Start date
During my freshman year, I was enrolled in a required English class. My instructor decided that a good class activity would be to interview Coach Bobby Knight. This was an interesting thought, as Coach Knight was well known for being merciless to reporters. But my instructor called up the athletic department, and much to my amazement, Coach Knight agreed to take over an hour out of his day, just a week prior to the start of the team's first game. We had a week to prepare for the interview, and he said he would answer any question, with the only stipulation being that what he said was for our academic purposes only, and not to be given to the press.
It was an unforgettable experience. When he walked into the room, the room became his. And he made sure that he was always in control of everything around him. If you asked a question that was not well thought out, he would let you know - in no uncertain terms - that you had failed. But if you asked a question that he deemed to be acceptable (fortunately, I was in that category!), he gave a thoughtful, detailed answer. He seemed to delight in being an educator at IU.
I came away from that day realizing just how complex a personality can be. Coach Knight could be belligerent, immature, and easy to anger. Coach Knight was also incredibly kind, loyal, loved IU, and obviously had a brilliant basketball mind.
It was an unforgettable experience. When he walked into the room, the room became his. And he made sure that he was always in control of everything around him. If you asked a question that was not well thought out, he would let you know - in no uncertain terms - that you had failed. But if you asked a question that he deemed to be acceptable (fortunately, I was in that category!), he gave a thoughtful, detailed answer. He seemed to delight in being an educator at IU.
I came away from that day realizing just how complex a personality can be. Coach Knight could be belligerent, immature, and easy to anger. Coach Knight was also incredibly kind, loyal, loved IU, and obviously had a brilliant basketball mind.
Yeah, I was sitting like a table away from him at the steak place. He was with a recruit and one of his coaches.
You don't realise how big a man he was especially when he is standing next to tall dudes in AH.
But even sitting down he was imposing.
There wont be another Robert Montgomery Knight ever again.
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Sage Steele shared one as reported by Indy Star’s Evan Frank in Herald Times
https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/s...tory-ex-indiana-basketball-coach/71442488007/
https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/s...tory-ex-indiana-basketball-coach/71442488007/
Woody has a good one here too
The story of how Woodson landed his first full-time assistant role has been told a few times now, most recently at this week’s radio show. Bucks owner Herb Kohl, as a Wisconsin grad and donor, had always been intrigued by Knight.
Kohl proposed an offer during a conversation with Woodson: if he could get on the phone with Knight anytime between that evening and the next morning, the job was his. It was a favor Woodson knew he could rely on and one he passes on to his own Indiana players.
“I would hope my players would respect me enough after they’re done playing for me that they can reach back and call me and say ‘Hey Mike, can you help me if I need it?’,” Woodson said. “That’s more important to me than anything.”
https://www.crimsonquarry.com/2023/...career-mike-woodson-pays-homage-to-bob-knight
The story of how Woodson landed his first full-time assistant role has been told a few times now, most recently at this week’s radio show. Bucks owner Herb Kohl, as a Wisconsin grad and donor, had always been intrigued by Knight.
Kohl proposed an offer during a conversation with Woodson: if he could get on the phone with Knight anytime between that evening and the next morning, the job was his. It was a favor Woodson knew he could rely on and one he passes on to his own Indiana players.
“I would hope my players would respect me enough after they’re done playing for me that they can reach back and call me and say ‘Hey Mike, can you help me if I need it?’,” Woodson said. “That’s more important to me than anything.”
https://www.crimsonquarry.com/2023/...career-mike-woodson-pays-homage-to-bob-knight
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Actually, he did. Go back and read post #26...it's one of the more touching stories on this thread.
Thank me later.
my bad
.. was responding to the douchebag comment
I read UM's post differently. I inferred that he was questioning a comment that seemed random and gratuitous. I reacted the same way...skeptical.
My Dad coached soccer in Bloomington and coached Pat as a 10 year old or so. Coach Knight was at the last game of the season and afterwards thanked my Dad for taking his time and expressed that Pat enjoyed the season. Coach Knight was the only parent to do that.
Growing up in Ellettsville I have a lot of Coach Knight experiences, but that story exemplifies who he was when no one was watching..
My dad, being a former high school coach of Brian Evans, scored some tickets for a game right behind the IU bench on one of my trips back home. Guess it would’ve been around ’95 or ‘ 96. Anyway, while taking it all in, I noticed they had strung cable through / around the legs of the team chairs - obviously to prevent another chair-toss moment. Of the entire evening, THAT is my fondest memory.
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