Bobby Knight vs John Calipari

A few months back, former Indiana & Texas Tech men’s basketball coach, Bobby Knight, took a big shot at current Kentucky coach John Calipari.  Speaking at a fund-raiser for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Knight said the following:

“We’ve gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that’s why I’m glad I’m not coaching,” he said. “You see we’ve got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he’s still coaching. I really don’t understand that.”

Knight is glad he is not coaching?  Knight is an abusive bully that no one wants to play for anymore, that’s why he is not coaching.  Claiming that Coach Cal “put two schools on probation” is absurd.  Of course every blowhard sports radio show host and TV sports personality across the country agreed with Knight.  But what actually has John Calipari done to “put two schools on probation”?  At UMass, NCAA player of the year Marcus Camby accepted money from two agents.  Twelve years later at Memphis, Calipari’s star Derrick Rose was declared ineligible because of “knowing fraudulence or misconduct in connection with his entrance examination”.

There is not a shred of evidence that Calipari had anything to do with either of these transgressions, so Knight’s assertion that Calipari shouldn’t be coaching is absurd.  Plus, it’s not like Coach Cal’s teams have been out of control thugs.  And of all coaches to call out another coach for his transgressions…

Let’s take a look at Bobby Knight’s record:

• In the 1970s, he reportedly choked and punched Indiana University sports director over an unfavorable news release
• In 1979, he was convicted (in absentia) of assaulting a police officer while coaching the US team in Puerto Rico
• In 1988 interview, said “I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it.”
• In 1993, seemingly kicked his son, Pat Knight, during a game after he made a bad play
• In 1994, he head butted IU player Sherron Wilkerson
• In 1997, he choked IU player Neil Reed in practice
• In 2000, he physically threatened his boss
• In 2000, he berated and physically intimidated an IU secretary
• In 2000, he allegedly attacked and threw his assistant coach out of a chair after hearing him criticize the program
• In 2000, he grabbed and berated a student for saying “What’s up, Knight?”

And this doesn’t even mention his out-of-control tirades and utter lack of respect for almost everyone -  be it 18 year old kid, volunteer press worker, TV reporter, opposing fan or whoever.  Knight is a bully who physically assaults and threatens physical violence to intimidate anyone he pleases.  This is a man that not only was allowed to coach way too long based on his rap sheet, but should probably spent some time in jail.

There are simple reasons why John Calipari is coaching the number one seed Kentucky Wildcats now while Knight is an analyst for ESPN.  Many schools would love to have coach Cal and many players would love to play for him while few (if any) top schools could put up with Knight and few (if any) players would want to play for him.

The one message for Bobby Knight: Those who live in glass houses…