(Bloomington, IN) – Legendary college basketball coach Bob Knight passed away yesterday in Bloomington at the age of 83.
Knight coached at Indiana University from 1971 to 2000, where he won 11 Big Ten Championships and three National Championships in 1976, 1981, and 1987.
The 1976 team went 32-0 and is the last Division 1 men’s college basketball team to go an entire season undefeated.
He also won a national title as a player at Ohio State in 1960, as well as a Gold Medal in 1984 as the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball coach.
“The General,” who sported a trademark red sweater and was known for his on- and off-court outbursts, also spent time as head coach at Army from 1965 to 1971 and at Texas Tech from 2001 to 2009.
Knight finished with 902 career wins.
After retiring from coaching, Knight worked as a college basketball analyst for ESPN
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued the following statement following Knight’s passing:
“Coach Robert Montgomery Knight was a towering basketball figure and fighter, second to none. As a National Champion he became synonymous with our state and what Hoosiers are all about: hard work, practice makes perfect, teamwork, and a commitment to excellence. His teams were built around student-athletes and his influence prepared them for life after the ball stopped bouncing. There will never be another Coach Knight and the banners that hang in Assembly Hall will forever remind us of his time, impact, and dominance. When Indiana builds our Mount Rushmore of Basketball, The General will surely be on it.”