Texas Tech coach Knight resigns

Feb 5, 2008 - 3:46 AM LUBBOCK, Texas (Ticker) - Texas Tech men's basketball coach Bob Knight resigned Monday.

The all-time winningest coach in Division I men's basketball history, Knight recently picked up his 900th victory on January 16. His career record is 902-371.

Knight, 67, guided Texas Tech to a 12-8 record this season and his son, Patrick, will become coach, effective immediately.

According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Knight contemplated stepping down at the end of the season, but felt his players and his son needed to begin the transition phase earlier.

"My thinking was that for Pat and for this team - most of which is returning next year - the best thing for the long run for this team would be for Pat and his staff to coach these remaining 10 games," Knight told the newspaper.

"There's a transition that's going to take place here from me to Pat and I've dwelt on this all year long - about what would be the best way to do this, and how it would be best for him and for the team - and for what we can do in the long run to make this the best thing for Texas Tech. And with all the thought that I put into it, that's exactly how I felt that it should be."

"The General" won three national championships during his 29-year tenure at Indiana in 1976, 1981 and 1987 - and made five Final Four appearances during his 42-year career.

"His legacy to basketball is more than the number of wins he has achieved," Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said. "Bob has given back to the game of basketball as much or more than anyone who has ever coached the game. No one has participated in more basketball clinics and camps and invited coaches to practices than Bob Knight."

Knight began his coaching career at Army, where he compiled a 102-50 record over six seasons. One of his players, Mike Krzyzewski, has been the coach of Duke for the past 28 seasons and is sixth on the all-time coaching wins list with 794.

"Outside of my immediate family, no single person has had a greater impact on my life than Coach Knight," Krzyzewski said. "I have the ultimate respect for him as a coach and a mentor, but even more so as a dear friend. For more than 40 years, the life lessons I have learned from "Coach" are immeasurable.

"While this is a tremendous loss for our sport, it is something Coach Knight wanted at this point in his life and as he's consistently done, he handled it in his own way."

Known for his short temper as well as his undoubted coaching ability, Knight spent 6 1/2 years at Texas Tech after leaving Indiana on bitter terms.

In March 2000, on the eve of the NCAAs, CNN/SI carried an interview with former player Neil Reed, who claimed he had been choked by Knight during practice in 1997. Indiana president Myles Brand, now the NCAA's executive director, warned Knight he was imposing a zero tolerance approach with regards to his behavior.

Knight then was accused of grabbing freshman student Kent Harvey by the arm and berating him for showing a lack of respect in September 2000. When pictures were published in the Indianapolis Star of marks on Harvey's arm, Knight was fired after refusing to resign at Brand's request.

Knight's up-and-down career with the Hoosiers featured a memorable chair toss across the court in a game against Purdue in 1985, and accusations of kicking his son Pat during a game in 1993. Bob later insisted that he kicked the chair.

Taking over at Texas Tech to start the 2001-02 season, Knight immediately made an impact, guiding the Red Raiders to a 23-9 record and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996.

Texas Tech reached the regional semifinals in March 2005, one of the highlights of Knight's time in Lubbock, Texas.

"Bob Knight has done an outstanding job as Texas Tech's basketball coach," Myers said. "He has brought more recognition to Texas Tech, Lubbock and West Texas than anyone who has ever been at Texas Tech. His teams have won more games and been to more postseason tournaments (NCAA and NIT) in the seven years he has been our coach, than any team in a similar period of time."

On January 1, 2007, Knight made history when the Red Raiders beat New Mexico, 70-68, giving him his 880th career win to eclipse the record of North Carolina legend Dean Smith as the top men's coach.

Knight then reached another milestone when Texas Tech defeated Texas A&M, 68-53, on January 16, 2008 - joining former Texas women's coach Jody Conradt and Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt as the only coaches ever to win 900 games.

The Red Raiders defeated Oklahoma State on Saturday, 67-60, in what has become Knight's final game.