Indiana Announces Special Honor For Legendary Coach Bob Knight

Indiana announces statue for legendary head coach Bob Knight

In a statement released Tuesday, IU athletics announced its plan to memorialize Knight, which will reportedly be funded by an anonymous Indiana donor and be displayed alongside the 1976 national championship statues in the lobby of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

"Coach Knight's influence on the game of basketball is immeasurable, but his impact on this university and Hoosier basketball fans is even deeper," Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said. "On a personal level, having started my career here as a student manager under Coach Knight, I saw firsthand the unparalleled standard of excellence he demanded. He taught me, and countless others, that success is the result of meticulous preparation and unwavering discipline."

"This statue will be a well-deserved tribute to a man who didn't just win games; he changed how the sport is played."

Bobby Knight's journey to 902 career wins

Lauded for his ability to instill quality fundamentals in his players and for being an early pioneer of the motion offense, Knight began his career as the coach at West Point where he led Army to a 102-50 record across six seasons.

He later took his hard-nosed approach to Bloomington where he began a terrific run as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers from 1971-1999, coaching players like fellow HOFer Isiah Thomas and Steve Alford.

He's one of only three coaches in basketball history to boast an NCAA, NIT title and Olympic gold medal, and spent his later years at Texas Tech where he collected his 900th win in 2008.

The ever-intense Knight sometimes crossed the line with his treatment of players and officials. But many who played for him loved him, and he's always had the respect of his peers in the coaching ranks.