Bob Knight, Hall of Fame Basketball Coach, Dead at 83

Former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight has died at the age of 83. 

Knight, who led IU to three NCAA championships during his 29-year tenure with the team, passed away surrounded by his loved ones, a statement from the Knight family said. 

“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family,” the statement shared. 

“We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored,” it continued.

“We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend,” the statement concluded. 

In lieu of flowers, the Knight family asked for donations to be made to the Alzheimer’s Association and Marian University.

During his time with the Hoosiers, Knight accumulated 902 wins, according to ESPN. Furthermore, the basketball legend took the team to the NCAA championships in 24 out of his 29 seasons. 

In 1984, while still serving as head coach for Indiana University’s basketball team, Knight coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in Los Angeles. He remains one of just three coaches to win an NCAA title, a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title and an Olympic gold medal. 

He was eventually ousted at Indiana in 2000 for an incident involving a freshman student who said the coach grabbed him by the arm after he greeted him using his last name. Throughout his career, Knight was known for several spirited outbursts, including one where he threw a chair during a game against Purdue University. 

Knight was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. 

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