FlyAU
Explorer Addict
- Joined
- June 26, 2000
- Messages
- 1,015
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Atlanta, GA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2013 GLI, 2013 Escape
Knight fired as Indiana head coach
ESPN.com news services
INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Knight's temper finally did him in.
The basketball coach, already in trouble for a history of misconduct, was fired by Indiana for grabbing a student by the arm last week to lecture him about manners and violating the school's "zero-tolerance" conduct policy.
The decision, announced by university president Myles Brand at a news conference Sunday, ends Knight's three tumultuous decades at a school where he was one of the game's best coaches but also one of its most volatile.
Brand, who criticized Knight for repeatedly flouting the school's conduct policy since it was set in May, said he gave the coach the option of resigning. Knight refused and was instead fired for a "continued pattern of unacceptable behavior."
Brand stressed that Knight's confrontation with freshman Kent Harvey was not the only reason for the dismissal of the 59-year-old Hall of Fame coach.
"If that was only instance that took place you would not be here today," Brand told reporters.
The president said he stood by his decision for not firing Knight in May and instituting the conduct policy, calling it the "ethical and moral thing to do" because of Knight's contributions to the school.
"I still believe we had to give him one last chance," Brand said. "He failed to live up to that. That was his decision.
"His unacceptable behavior not only continued since then but increased."
Indiana players and coaches had already been informed of the decision.
"We met with the president (the team and the staff) and he wasn't too happy," said assistant coach Mike Davis, referring to Brand. "He went over that he was waiting to get the police report, but it was still hard to believe they were going to get rid of coach (Knight)."
A source close to Knight said Knight called Brand on Saturday night and that the two "got into it." According to the source, Knight told the president that he would fly back from Canada, Brand said that wasn't necessary and that Indiana was going in a different direction. The source said that Brand was against Knight holding an impromptu news conference Friday and didn't want Knight to leave for Canada.
Reaction to the news was quick.
"Disbelief," said Jared Jeffries, a McDonald's All-American freshman who is Indiana's highest recruit. "I came to Indiana. I thought coach Knight would be here as long as I would.
"When I heard about it I thought there was a good chance this could happen," Jeffries said. "The university was so strong on it's zero-tolerance policy and I knew that if something like this happened he could be in trouble."
The search for a new coach will begin immediately and Brand said he did not yet have any candidates. Knight, who reportedly was in Canada, where he often goes for hunting and fishing, will be paid for the final two years of his contract.
Knight won three NCAA championships with the Hoosiers and guided the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1984.
But his behavior, which has included verbal and physical abuse of players, has been a problem since he took over the Hoosiers in 1971.
Knight has one of the game's most notorious tempers _ throwing chairs across the court, stuffing a fan in a garbage can, scuffling with Puerto Rico police and kicking his own son on the bench.
Last spring, he was accused of choking one of his players during practice in 1997, an act caught on videotape. Following a school investigation into that claim and others, Indiana warned Knight in May that he must adhere to the zero-tolerance policy, which included no "inappropriate" physical contact with students.
The university also suspended him for three games and fined him $30,000.
Meanwhile, Harvey and his two brothers have received numerous threats by phone and e-mail, said their stepfather Mark Shaw.
He said the teens never wanted to see Knight fired. An apology from the coach was all they wanted.
Harvey and his brothers want to stay at Indiana, Shaw said, and university officials have assured their family they will do whatever is necessary to ensure the Harveys' safety.
"We'll have to see how that plays out. It's terrifying," Shaw said.
ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz and information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ESPN.com news services
INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Knight's temper finally did him in.
The basketball coach, already in trouble for a history of misconduct, was fired by Indiana for grabbing a student by the arm last week to lecture him about manners and violating the school's "zero-tolerance" conduct policy.
The decision, announced by university president Myles Brand at a news conference Sunday, ends Knight's three tumultuous decades at a school where he was one of the game's best coaches but also one of its most volatile.
Brand, who criticized Knight for repeatedly flouting the school's conduct policy since it was set in May, said he gave the coach the option of resigning. Knight refused and was instead fired for a "continued pattern of unacceptable behavior."
Brand stressed that Knight's confrontation with freshman Kent Harvey was not the only reason for the dismissal of the 59-year-old Hall of Fame coach.
"If that was only instance that took place you would not be here today," Brand told reporters.
The president said he stood by his decision for not firing Knight in May and instituting the conduct policy, calling it the "ethical and moral thing to do" because of Knight's contributions to the school.
"I still believe we had to give him one last chance," Brand said. "He failed to live up to that. That was his decision.
"His unacceptable behavior not only continued since then but increased."
Indiana players and coaches had already been informed of the decision.
"We met with the president (the team and the staff) and he wasn't too happy," said assistant coach Mike Davis, referring to Brand. "He went over that he was waiting to get the police report, but it was still hard to believe they were going to get rid of coach (Knight)."
A source close to Knight said Knight called Brand on Saturday night and that the two "got into it." According to the source, Knight told the president that he would fly back from Canada, Brand said that wasn't necessary and that Indiana was going in a different direction. The source said that Brand was against Knight holding an impromptu news conference Friday and didn't want Knight to leave for Canada.
Reaction to the news was quick.
"Disbelief," said Jared Jeffries, a McDonald's All-American freshman who is Indiana's highest recruit. "I came to Indiana. I thought coach Knight would be here as long as I would.
"When I heard about it I thought there was a good chance this could happen," Jeffries said. "The university was so strong on it's zero-tolerance policy and I knew that if something like this happened he could be in trouble."
The search for a new coach will begin immediately and Brand said he did not yet have any candidates. Knight, who reportedly was in Canada, where he often goes for hunting and fishing, will be paid for the final two years of his contract.
Knight won three NCAA championships with the Hoosiers and guided the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1984.
But his behavior, which has included verbal and physical abuse of players, has been a problem since he took over the Hoosiers in 1971.
Knight has one of the game's most notorious tempers _ throwing chairs across the court, stuffing a fan in a garbage can, scuffling with Puerto Rico police and kicking his own son on the bench.
Last spring, he was accused of choking one of his players during practice in 1997, an act caught on videotape. Following a school investigation into that claim and others, Indiana warned Knight in May that he must adhere to the zero-tolerance policy, which included no "inappropriate" physical contact with students.
The university also suspended him for three games and fined him $30,000.
Meanwhile, Harvey and his two brothers have received numerous threats by phone and e-mail, said their stepfather Mark Shaw.
He said the teens never wanted to see Knight fired. An apology from the coach was all they wanted.
Harvey and his brothers want to stay at Indiana, Shaw said, and university officials have assured their family they will do whatever is necessary to ensure the Harveys' safety.
"We'll have to see how that plays out. It's terrifying," Shaw said.
ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz and information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
