WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

What if Knight Returned to Indiana?

By Brad Simmons

Feb 15, 2008

Just last week, Bob Knight, the winningest coach in college basketball history, stepped down at Texas Tech. Although he did resign as coach, he has left the door open for a possible return to the hardwood.

Now, the NCAA has said Kelvin Sampson, the head coach at Knight’s former school Indiana, committed five major violations. Sampson is no stranger to these types of allegations. The University of Oklahoma was placed on probation for Sampson’s improper recruiting antics. This was such an issue, that upon his taking the job at the University of Indiana, both parties agreed that any more shady behavior could result in termination.

The timing of these two events is quite interesting.

Perhaps some of the Bob Knight supporters at IU caught wind of this situation, made a call down to Lubbock, Texas, and said, “Hey Bobby, what do you think about…”

It’s not out of the realm of possibility. The way coaches move around, take jobs then back out, get fired only to be re-hired, this wouldn’t surprise me if Coach Bob Knight ends up back in Bloomington.

Why would Indiana want to bring him back?

Good question.

Why not?

He is the winningest coach in college basketball. He is one of the most respected people in the game of basketball. He has no violations at any of his previous stops as head coach. He graduates players and is a character person with impeccable credentials. And lastly, the hierarchy that booted him out a few years back is no longer at the university.

Sure he is in his late 60’s and we all know he can’t coach forever. Maybe he holds the Hoosiers' top spot for a few years while his son, Pat, gets his feet wet at Texas Tech, then steps in to run the program for years into the future.

Who knows how all of this will shake down, but wouldn’t it be fun to see the General roaming the Hoosier bench once again?