| | Associated Press
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Four days after Indiana University
announced Bob Knight would remain basketball coach, his son is
fuming, claiming the family name has been dragged through the mud.
|  | | Pat Knight, son of Indiana coach Bob Knight and an assistant coach with the Hoosiers, answers questions the day IU's zero-tolerance policy regarding his dad's behavior was announced. |
"This isn't over. This will never be over for any of us,"
Indiana assistant Pat Knight told The Indianapolis Star on
Thursday. "There were people out there trying to get us fired. I
took this personally. This is my family you're messing with."
The younger of Bob Knight's two sons said the recent controversy
involving his dad was not handled well on many fronts.
"I think my dad is taking this all OK, at least as well as he
can," Knight said. "What has been tough is the effect it has had
on my whole family."
Pat Knight said even his 84-year-old maternal grandmother in
Florida received calls from media outlets.
"This has really just gotten out of hand," he said.
On Monday, IU president Myles Brand announced Bob Knight could
keep his job as head basketball coach as long as he adhered to a
zero-tolerance behavior policy and agreed to a $30,000 fine and a
three-game suspension.
"This has been a hell of a learning experience," Pat Knight
said. "You find there's a lot of guys out there who you thought
would speak for you and they didn't. But then again, there's some
guys you never thought would be there for you and they are."
One of those people was Temple coach John Chaney.
"Chaney has been a warrior," Knight said. "To me, he's one of
the family now. If he ever needs anything, I'll always be there for
him. Everything he did, he did on his own."
The younger Knight was surprised more coaches didn't stand up
for his dad when allegations first surfaced about the choking
incident with former player Neil Reed. Pat Knight said he knows
many coaches put hands on players, but few spoke in his father's
defense.
"Nowadays, the thing to do is be so-called politically
correct," Pat Knight said. "They want to be liked by everybody
and have a good rapport in the media, and they didn't want any
negative publicity against them even though they knew they should
say something.
"That's not right. You've got to do what you believe in. That's
what my dad does. Sure, it has gotten him in trouble, but I'd
rather live that way than as a phony."
| |
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Knight to remain as Indiana's coach
Katz: Trustees change tune
Bilas: Knight, IU both to blame
Katz: All eyes on Knight starting now
 Vitale: Time to move on
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