" Knight's academic successes rival his athletic ones. At Indiana, he graduated nearly 80 percent of his players. The national average for Division I schools is 42 percent. He endowed two chairs, one in history and one in law, and he raised millions for the library. He's doing the same at Texas Tech, donating $10,000 to a fund that's now raised $100,000. To increase graduation rates, he wants the NCAA to adopt this rule: Revoke a team scholarship for every player who doesn't graduate within five years. (Under that sort of stricture, some NCAA teams wouldn't have any scholarships left."
In the words of Isiah Thomas:Isiah, has your opinion of your former coach Bob Knight been changed at all by some of the allegations that have surfaced?
Isiah Thomas: No, if anything it's cemented my perception of his as a good coach and person. A lot of time what's happens, the traditions that our parents used when raising kids in the past - Bob Knight has lasted so long I would say that the conditions of coaching has changed. Bob Knight came from the era of Lombardi, Parcells and Schembechler - ones who demanded that you take responsibility for your actions. Now coaches tolerate and accept all sorts of things. Things I'm proud coach Knight has never accepted - even his own behavior.
Nothing in your post contradicts the evidence that he is a bully. There’s tape of him grabbing a player by the neck. There have been many recorded incidences of him verbally abusing his players, and showing terrible disrespect to the officials, including throwing chairs on to the basketball court during a game.
That type of behavior is inexcusable, and no quantity of wins or graduated players should let him get away with it. His behavior has provided the worst sort of examples of sportsmanship to his players.