Bob Knight

Robert Montgomery (Bob or Bobby) Knight (October 25, 1940 – November 1, 2023), also known as "The General", was an American former college basketball head coach. He was most recently the head men's basketball coach at Texas Tech before announcing his retirement on February 4, 2008. He was previously the head coach at Indiana University and at the United States Military Academy.

Knight has won more NCAA Division I men's basketball games than any other head coach except Mike Kryzewski and Jim Boeheim. On January 1, 2007, he achieved his 880th victory, which broke the record previously held by Dean Smith. His 900th victory came just over a year later, on January 16, 2008.

Quotes

• Let me answer that. That is an absolute fucking crock of bullshit. All you people in the media, all you fuckers dwell on some negative piece of bullshit like that and I don't know how Steve feels about it, and you don't have to bleep one single fucking word of this.
  • Responding to a interviewer question about something not positive.

"It is better to anticipate than to react"

• I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it.
  • Knight's reply to interviewer Connie Chung's question. "There are times Bobby Knight can't do it his way—and what does he do then?" From an NBC television interview by Connie Chung on April 25, 1988 as reported in the May 09, 1988 issue of Sports Illustrated.

• The key is not the will to win... everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.
  • Knight: My Story, Chapter: Cornerstone and Credos. By Bobby Knight and Bob Hammel, 2002. Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (March 26, 2002) ISBN: 978-0312282578.

• When my time on earth is gone and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down, and my critics can kiss my ass.
  • From a public address given by Knight at Indiana University. As reported by BBC Sports, Knight moves to Texas, by Kevin Asseo, 22 March, 2001. The quotation can be heard on "Bob Knight Sportscenter Top 10 Soundbites". The quotation may be attributed to a longer poem from a 1970's velvet blacklight poster, titled "My Critics RIP - Ross", that depicted a drawing of a man laying face down with lipstick covering his bare buttocks.

About Knight

• He's a classic bully, I'll tell you. He tries to intimidate everybody. His entire life is based on intimidation.
  • Said former Illinois coach Lou Henson, a long-time Knight rival. As reported by BBC Sports, Knight moves to Texas, by Kevin Asseo, 22 March, 2001.