| | Associated Press
LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Lou Henson, who during 21 years of
coaching at Illinois had several run-ins with Bob Knight, is glad
the fiery and controversial Indiana coach will keep his job.
"From the basketball point of view and the University of
Indiana, everybody is pleased that Bob Knight is going to continue
to coach," said Henson, who three years ago came out of retirement
for a second coaching stint at New Mexico State.
Knight and Henson are both members of the elite group of
Division I coaches with more than 700 career wins. Knight has 763
wins and Henson 726.
While Henson was the head coach at Illinois, he and Knight
sometimes clashed and Henson once called Knight a bully. On Monday,
Henson backed the decision of Indiana president Myles Brand to
allow Knight to keep his job under what Brand described as a
"zero-tolerance policy".
"I think it's a boon to the coaching profession that he's going
to continue at Indiana," Henson said. "I respect him as a coach
and I'm very pleased that he's going to continue to coach."
Knight will have to sit out three games next season and pay a
$30,000 fine for his "pattern of inappropriate behavior."
Knight must also follow a supervised code of conduct and will be
fired immediately if he violates it or has physical contact with
any player or university employee, Brand said.
Henson downplayed his past clashes with Knight.'
"For the most part, we got along pretty well," Henson said.
"I still think we're friends now. We had two or three run-ins, but
... in the coaching profession, you're going to have heated
discussions with other coaches."
Henson also said Knight should be able to live with the
sanctions.
"He's a regimented-type guy," Henson said. "I'm sure he'll go
along with them." | |
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