Return of the Hoosier: Knight back at Indiana after 20 years

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — He left in disgrace nearly two decades ago. On Saturday, Bob Knight cherished the short stroll from the practice gym to Assembly Hall, his first visit to the basketball arena he ruled for 29 seasons before he was fired in 2000.

Surrounded by dozens of former players and thousands of Indiana fans chanting, “Bobby, Bobby,” Knight finally returned to his home court Saturday to a rousing welcome.

“We love you, Bobby,” one fan shouted from the crowd.

Hoosiers fans spent years waiting and hoping they could give the once combustible coach the proper reward for everything he did in Bloomington — three NCAA championships, a schoolrecord 662 victories, 11 Big Ten titles and five Final Four appearances.

Knight, 79, hadn’t been back to Assembly Hall since he was fired Sept. 10, 2000, after a student accused Knight of grabbing him in the hallway of Assembly Hall. The university had initiated a zerotolerance policy for Knight earlier that year following an investigation after he choked a former player, the late Neil Reed.

The firing created a bitter split between Knight and the university. He declined opportunity after opportunity to reunite when his championship teams were honored. He even declined to come back for his induction into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame in 2009, saying he didn’t want to detract from the other class members.

And then, suddenly, it was all over.

With the Hoosiers playing their biggest rival, Purdue, with longtime friend and rival Gene Keady in the arena and Knight’s 1980 Big Ten championship team being honored, the former Indiana coach put aside his grudge and walked to midcourt with his son, Pat, and former players Quinn Buckner and Scott May.

“Thank you coach, thank you coach,” the fans chanted as Knight waved to the crowd and pretended to run practice drills.

Knight led the crowd in a chant of “defense” and when his former players gathered round, he hugged some of them. Among them was Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who led the Hoosiers to the 1981 national title. Knight even playfully messed around with television announcer Dick Vitale, who covered the Hoosiers’ 7462 loss for ESPN.

And Knight wasn’t as loud or fiery as he was all those years ago. He needed help as he shuffled back to the court and he had to stop a couple of times on his way. He seemed to enjoy the moment every bit as much as the fans inside Assembly Hall.

It took years to mend the relationship.

Athletic director Fred Glass stayed in touch with Knight, who finished his career with Texas Tech and retired in 2008 with a thenrecord 902 victories, hoping one day the icy relationship would thaw. Then last spring, Knight surprised everyone by showing up for an Indiana baseball game. He also moved back to Bloomington last year and there was speculation for weeks he might soon return to Assembly Hall. Some thought he would come back to watch his alma mater, Ohio State, when the Buckeyes visited Assembly Hall on Jan. 11. Instead, he went to Marian, an NAIA school in Indianapolis, where one of his former players, Steve Downing, is the athletic director.

Finally, Saturday was the day. And judging by the soldout crowd’s reaction at Assembly Hall, the wait was worth it.

Justin Casterline / Getty Images Former Indiana head coach Bob Knight and former Hoosiers player Isiah Thomas lead the crowd in cheers during a halftime ceremony. Knight was fired by Indiana in 2000.