Bob Knight, complicated Indiana legend, dies at 83

Bob Knight, a legendary college basketball coach known for national championships, a thrown chair, profanity and putting his hands on players, died Wednesday in Bloomington after a long illness. He was 83.

The big picture: Knight is one of the most accomplished coaches in history.

• He elevated Indiana University to an elite basketball program, winning three national titles, while also guiding players toward academic success.
• Knight led IU to a perfect season in 1976 (32-0), the last undefeated record in men's college basketball.
• He won 902 games, sixth-most all time.

Of note: Knight also was a successful player at Ohio State and won an Olympic gold medal coaching the men's basketball team in 1984.

Flashback: Always controversial, Knight's downfall at IU began in April 2000 when a video surfaced showing him putting his hands on player Neil Reed's throat in 1997.

• IU instituted a zero-tolerance policy — which the school cited when it fired Knight in September 2000 after he grabbed the arm of a freshman student who said, "Hey, what's up, Knight?"

Knight stayed away from IU after his firing, skipping his induction into the school's hall of fame in 2009, until he returned to Assembly Hall to attend an IU-Purdue game in February 2020.

• In one of his final public appearances, he hugged Isiah Thomas and interacted with the IU fans he had avoided for two decades.

Worthy of your time: Coaching legend Bob Knight, famous for both victories and outbursts, dies at 83 (Yahoo)