Bob Knight Bio And Facts

Bob Knight

Bob Knight is a former American basketball coach and player, most known for his success coaching the Indiana Hoosiers from 1971-2000. At the time of Knight’s retirement, he had the most wins in NCAA basketball coaching history with 902. He has since been passed up by Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, and Jim Boeheim. Knight attended Ohio State University, where he won a National Championship in 1960 as a part of the basketball team, where he played forward.

After college, Knight stopped playing basketball and quickly transitioned to coaching. His first coaching job was as an assistant for Cuyahoga Falls High School. After two seasons, Knight became an assistant coach for Army’s basketball program, and then was made head coach in 1965. In 1971, he was named head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. Knight would go on to win three National Championships in 1976, 1981, and 1987. He would be fired following the 2000 season, after an investigation into both a physical altercation with an Indiana student and a physical altercation with a former player during practice. In 2001, Knight would be named head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, where he coached until announcing his retirement from coaching in 2008.

Basic Info:

• Birthdate: October, 25, 1940
• Birthplace: Orrville, Ohio
• Education: Ohio State University
• Net Worth: $8 million
• Occupation: Collegiate Basketball Coach
• Height: 6’5”
• Position: Forward
• Years Active as a Player: 4 years
• Years Active as a Coach: 47 years
• Career Wins: 902 wins
• Career Losses: 371 losses
• National  Championships: 3
• Final Four Appearances: 5
• Nicknames: The General
• Teams: Army, Indiana, Texas Tech

Net Worth

Bob Knight’s reported net worth is $8 million. Knight accumulated most of his net worth through his head coaching contracts. His contract at Indiana was reportedly worth $163,000 per season. His contract with Texas Tech was not made public. After his retirement from coaching, Knight occasionally appeared on ESPN as an analyst and color commentator. He also released an autobiography in 2003 with friend Bob Hammel.

Career

Bob Knight is a former American basketball coach and player, most known for his success coaching the Indiana Hoosiers from 1971-2000. Bob Knight started his basketball career at Ohio State University where he played forward for four years. In 1960, Knight played a pivotal role in the team's National Championship run. Following his playing days, Knight took a job as an assistant coach at Cuyahoga High School in Ohio. He would eventually become an assistant at Army before becoming their head coach in 1966. In 1971, Knight was named head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, where he saw his most success.

With the Hoosiers, Knight captured three National Championships in 1976, 1981, and 1987. Knight would be dismissed from the Indiana basketball program in 2000 after numerous complaints of violent behavior by Knight towards players and students. Following his dismissal, Knight was offered the head coaching job at Texas Tech University, where he would coach until his retirement in 2008. Knight served as head coach of the 1979 and 1984 USA Team. In 1979, the team earned a gold medal at the Pan American Games. In 1984, the team also won a gold medal in the Olympics. In 1991, Knight was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Titles and Awards

Below are some of the most notable titles and awards won by Bob Knight, both as a player and a coach:

Titles

• 1960 NCAA Champion (as a player)
• Three-time NCAA  Division 1 Tournament Champion
• Five-time Final Four
• 11-time Big Ten regular season Champion
• 1979 NIT Tournament Champion
• 1979 Pan American Games Gold Medal
• 1984 Olympic Games Gold Medal

Awards

• Two-time Henry Iba Award Winner
• 1987 Naismith Coach of the Year
• Three-time AP Coach of the Year
• 2002 Claire Bee Coach of the Year
• Eight-time Big Ten Coach of the Year
• 2007 Naismith Award for Men’s Outstanding Contribution to Basketball
• 1991 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2006 College Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee

Personal Life

Bob Knight married his former wife Nancy in 1963, and the couple had two sons, Pat and Tim. The couple would divorce in 1985 and Knight would marry his second wife Karen in 1988. Knight made many donations to the University of Indiana during his tenure there. He was able to raise $5 million for the university's library system.

Fun Facts

• Knight’s second wife was also a basketball coach
• Bob Knight’s son Pat took over for him at Texas Tech when he retired
• Knight donated large sums of money to educational programs at each school he coached
• Knight has two gold medals as the head coach of Team USA Basketball
• Knight captured three National Championships as a coach of Indiana University
• Knight won a National Championship as a player in 1960 at Ohio State University
• Knight appeared on ESPN briefly following his retirement

FAQ