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 Saturday, December 4
Longtime aide of Knight leaves Hoosiers
 
Associated Press

  BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Ron Felling, an assistant with the Indiana's men's basketball team for 14 years, is leaving to pursue other interests, coach Bob Knight announced Saturday.

"This is in no way unexpected," Knight said in a statement distributed at halftime of Saturday's game with Kentucky in Indianapolis. "Ron has indicated to me on several occasions in the past few years that he is interested in looking at things outside basketball. ... Ron wanted to leave last year, but I talked him into trying it one more time to see if those feelings would change, but they haven't."

Felling joined Knight's staff in 1985 after coaching Lawrenceville to four Illinois Class A state championships. In 1997, he moved from assistant coach to Knight's administrative assistant.

NCAA rules allowed him to work with the program, but recruiting and on-court coaching are not permitted.

"There is obviously nothing we can do about the rules," Knight said. "One of the things we wanted to do when we made our staff changes two years ago was to improve our recruiting and I don't think there is any question that we have done that."

Felling was not available for comment at the game and no comment from him was included in the statement.

Indiana said Felling's current compensation with benefits was approximately $130,000 and that his salary will expire on Dec. 31 with his health benefits continuing until June 1.

 


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