| | By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
The Indiana University board of trustees and school president Myles Brand knew they had to take on Bob Knight, instead of giving in to the Hall of Fame coach as their predecessors have done over the past 29 years.
|
“ |
We've got a board and a president that is tired of the
embarrassment to the university. This university stands for too
many other things and we don't want the name IU dragged
through the mud anymore. If we have to get a new coach, fine.
But my biggest hope is that coach Knight will be able to retire
with the full glory he deserves. He's done wonderful things and
deserves to go out on top. ” |
|
|
— IU trustee Stephen Backer |
Trustee Stephen Backer said that previous administrations weren't willing to confront Knight and were essentially blinded by his winning percentage.
"He was winning and it was OK," said Backer, who joined the board in 1998. "Times change and people look at something differently and are not willing to put up with it anymore. No one had been taken seriously before because they always backed down and were never strong enough. But they helped create the monster from the very beginning."
While critics across the nation blister the board and president for allowing Knight to remain as coach after a seven-week investigation revealed that he had been physically and verbally abusive, the board of trustees and the president were committed to doing something significant.
The board backed Brand when he offered Knight a zero-tolerance policy, which included an apology to athletics department secretary Jeanette Hartgraves, a $30,000 fine and a three-game suspension.
Brand said previous attempts to rein in Knight weren't effective. This penalty will only work if Brand backs up his termination threat should Knight ever embarrass the university again.
"The university wants to be looked at for more than a basketball program," said Backer, who was disgusted by the attention Knight's investigation received as compared to four professors who received academic honors last week. The school purchased an advertisement in the local paper to tout their achievement.
"But public opinion had nothing to do with our opinion," Backer said. "But if I were on the board in the '80s, maybe I would have thought differently. This board put the university first."
Backer was adamant that Knight would have been fired had he not shown remorse Saturday afternoon in a public apology or during a six-hour meeting, as confirmed by those close to Knight, Saturday night at Brand's residence in Bloomington.
"A lot of us were of the mind that his apology and willingness to say he would change saved the day," Backer said.
"But this committee had to do something significant," Backer said. "The other things hadn't worked. Myles was clear with that, the other warnings, suspensions never worked. But the university shares the blame in this."
Backer expects Knight to be confronted during the offseason, challenging the zero-tolerance policy. He expects Knight will be baited into breaking the policy. So, too, do Knight's closest friends in the coaching fraternity.
"There are going to be fans, writers and all types of people who are cynical enough that want to bring him down," said Baylor coach Dave Bliss, a former Knight assistant at Army and Indiana. "It's no different than the past but the consequences are greater for Bob Knight."
The conclusion of the seven-week investigation came at a time when Brand and the board of trustees were under fire for not acting in the past. But Knight's ability to save his job may also give him peace of mind -- for the rest of his life.
"This will help him just be happy in life," said Evansville coach Jim Crews, a former Knight assistant at Indiana. "People are going to do things, say things. But coach can be compassionate and he has been put in a position where he needs to show it."
Crews is convinced that the longer a coach stays in one place, "you usually don't make more friends, you have more people complaining about stuff."
Bliss said Knight disappoints himself with his behavior. He said he has been with him when Knight said he didn't handle situations correctly. But the university never pushed him to change. Now for the first time in 29 years, it has.
"We've got a board and a president that is tired of the embarrassment to the university," Backer said. "This university stands for too many other things and we don't want the name IU dragged through the mud anymore. If we have to get a new coach, fine. But my biggest hope is that coach Knight will be able to retire with the full glory he deserves. He's done wonderful things and deserves to go out on top."
The university has given Knight that last chance and now it's up to Knight to leave on his terms.
"He accepts the responsibility and wants to change," Bliss said. "What happened is he came up against the compilation of all the things that have occurred over the years."
And that's why this president and this board of trustees finally acted.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. | |
ALSO SEE
Knight to remain as Indiana's coach
Katz: All eyes on Knight starting now
Ratto: Hoosiers had no choice
Garber: Belichick sees different Knight
 Vitale: Time to move on
Kreidler: Promises of another dark Knight
Bilas: Knight, IU both to blame
 |
