Indiana plans to honor basketball legend Bobby Knight originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On the heels of their first-ever national championship for football, the Indiana Hoosiers will celebrate their best era of college basketball. According to USA Today, the Hoosiers plan to commission a bronze statue of Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight.
Advertisement
Coach Knight was a college basketball staple until the turn of the century. He coached the Hoosiers from 1972 until 2000. Knight led the Hoosiers for 29 seasons. His 901 career wins still ranks in the top 5. Just behind Roy Williams, Rick Pitino, Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski.
Knight towers over every other coach who has graced the head basketball coach role at Indiana. His 29 seasons, 901 wins, 24 NCAA tournament appearances, five Final Fours, and 3 National Championships ranks No. 1 in program history.
The next best four Indiana coaches that comprise their top 5 have 14 NCAA tournament appearances combined. His five Final Fours are also more than the other four names combined. His winning percentage (73.1%) is second to only Kelvin Sampson (74.1%), who only held the job for two seasons.
The university announced the stature decision on Monday, Febr. 9, the same day that Indiana’s 1976 National Championship team was honored during Hoosiers’ 92-74 win against Oregon.
Advertisement
“Coach Knight’s influence on the game of basketball is immeasurable, but his impact on this university and Hoosier basketball fans is even deeper,” said Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson.
“On a personal level, having started my career here as a student manager under Coach Knight, I saw firsthand the unparalleled standard of excellence he demanded. He taught me, and countless others, that success is the result of meticulous preparation and unwavering discipline. This statue will be a well-deserved tribute to a man who didn’t just win games; he changed how the sport is played.”
Details about the project and its timeline, which is being funded by an anonymous longtime Indiana donor, will be released “in the coming months,” according to the program.
Beyond his work at Indiana, which also included 11 Big Ten championships and five Final Four appearances, he was the head coach of gold-medal-winning USA Basketball teams at the 1979 Pan American Games and the 1984 US Olympic team that included Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing.
Advertisement
