One of the most successful college basketball coaches of all time, Bobby Knight, died Wednesday, and a deluge of anecdotes about his coaching career inundated social media.
Knight's family released a statement about his death on social media.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family,” the statement said. “We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored.
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“We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever, as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach and Friend.”
Not only was Knight one of the most winningest coaches of all time, but he was also a widely controversial figure with a series of incidents that made him a household name.
So, who does he compare to in college football?
The controversial careers of Bobby Knight and Urban Meyer
The closest figure who can compare to Bobby Knight is former Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer. They both won a ton of games but also courted controversy.
In 1979, Knight assaulted a police officer in Puerto Rico and was sentenced to a six-year jail term, which he never served because extradition efforts failed. He also famously threw a chair on the court in a game against Purdue.
Knight once strangled an Indiana player during practice, and the incident was caught on camera, with the authorities issuing a warning. When he did it again, he was fired in 2000.
Urban Meyer was also sacked by the Jacksonville Jaguars when he kicked Josh Lambo during warmups.
During a 1988 interview, Knight seemed to excuse sexual assault on women, for which he received severe backlash. Urban Meyer was suspended by Ohio State for three games due to his alleged cover-up of assistant Zach Smith's abuse allegations.
Bobby Knight's Indiana Legacy
Bobby Knight coached the Indiana Hoosiers for 29 seasons between 1971 and 2000 and made them a genuinely elite program in the country.
Knight won three national championships as coach of the Hoosiers. His 1976 undefeated national champions are still the sole holders of that record all these years later.
When he retired in 2008, he did so as the winningest college basketball coach of all time with 902 wins. Currently, he sits at No. 6 on that list and is still regarded as one of the best college basketball coaches of all time.
Bobby Knight was a winner and an enigma all rolled into one, and he cemented his legacy among the college basketball greats.
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