Bob Knight penalized (suspended)for spat with chancellor

Texas Tech coach Bob Knight has been suspended for five days, a result of his verbal confrontation with university chancellor David Smith on Monday at a grocery store in Lubbock, ESPN's Dick Vitale reports.

Pat Knight will replace his father as coach of the Red Raiders for their home game Tuesday night against Baylor, ESPN.com's Andy Katz reports. Pat Knight, aware of the five-day action, also assumes he will coach the team Saturday when the Red Raiders visit Kansas in Lawrence.

However, neither Pat Knight or the rest of the Texas Tech coaching staff had been told definitely that Bob Knight will not coach against Kansas, Katz reports.

Texas Tech officials said, however, that no decision had been made on disciplinary measures, but the school was expected to release a statement later Tuesday, Tech spokeswoman Sally Logue Post said.

Bob Knight is expected to discuss his suspension in a news conference later Tuesday.

"Right now, the athletic director and the president's office at the university are looking into the incident," Smith told the AP. "We'll wait to hear more in the next few days about their review."

Asked whether there was any discussion of removing Knight, Smith said: "I can't comment on any of those things right now."

Pat Knight, the rest of the coaching staff and the players had not heard from Bob Knight on Tuesday, as he was meeting with his lawyer, Katz reports.

Pat Knight said that his father was very upset over the incident and that his knee-jerk, heat-of-the-moment reaction was to quit. But Pat told him "you've gotta stay the rest of the season" and then decide.

After calming down, that is ultimately what Bob Knight decided to do, Katz reports.

Pat Knight also said that the players were not shocked by any of the news and were conducting business as usual, which included their afternoon shootaround.

One eyewitness told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that Knight raised his voice to Smith after the chancellor approached him at a salad bar to compliment the coach on his recent good behavior.

Pat Knight said his father and Smith have had a strained relationship, divided mostly by "petty" issues, but that ultimately the chancellor felt slighted, Katz reported.

The witness told the paper that Knight flew into a rage and accused Smith of being a liar, saying that there had been nothing wrong with his demeanor this year.

Smith turned to leave the area, the Avalanche-Journal reported, but Knight followed. The chancellor then told Knight that he deserved more respect than Knight was showing him, according to the Avalanche-Journal.

The newspaper reports that no physical contact took place before Knight left the establishment after the confrontation, got in his car and pulled into traffic. According to the Avalanche-Journal, Knight stopped his car then and briefly got out before getting back in and driving away.

Texas Tech is 4-2 in the Big 12 this season. The Red Raiders had been unbeaten in the league until last week, when they lost to Texas and Oklahoma State.

Information from The Associated Press and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal was used in this report.

updated at 4 pm

Contrary to Tuesday's earlier reports, Texas Tech coach Bob Knight was not suspended by the school and will coach the Red Raiders tonight against Baylor, his son Pat Knight told ESPN.com's Andy Katz.

As originally reported by ESPN, and confirmed by Pat Knight, Bob Knight faced a three- to five-day suspension starting tonight as a result of his verbal confrontation with university chancellor David Smith on Monday at a grocery store in Lubbock. It was still unclear if the university would discipline Knight sometime after Tuesday night's game.

Pat Knight, who had not spoke to his father throughout the day Tuesday, told ESPN.com earlier that his father had been suspended and would not have contact with the team during that period. Operating under that assumption, Pat Knight said he would coach the Red Raiders against Baylor, and again on Saturday when the Red Raiders visit Kansas.

Pat Knight informed ESPN.com of the change just hours before tipoff to the Baylor game. Texas Tech officials had said that no decision had been made on disciplinary measures, but the school was expected to release a statement later Tuesday, Tech spokeswoman Sally Logue Post said.

Bob Knight was expected to discuss his suspension in a news conference later Tuesday.

"Right now, the athletic director and the president's office at the university are looking into the incident," Smith told the AP. "We'll wait to hear more in the next few days about their review."

Asked whether there was any discussion of removing Knight, Smith said: "I can't comment on any of those things right now."

Pat Knight, the rest of the coaching staff and the players had not heard from Bob Knight on Tuesday, as he was meeting with his lawyer, Katz reports.

Pat Knight said that his father was very upset over the incident and that his knee-jerk, heat-of-the-moment reaction was to quit. But Pat told him "you've gotta stay the rest of the season" and then decide.

After calming down, that is ultimately what Bob Knight decided to do, Katz reports.

Pat Knight also said that the players were not shocked by any of the news and were conducting business as usual, which included their afternoon shootaround, which Pat led.

One eyewitness told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that Knight raised his voice to Smith after the chancellor approached him at a salad bar to compliment the coach on his recent good behavior.

Pat Knight said his father and Smith have had a strained relationship, divided mostly by "petty" issues, but that ultimately the chancellor felt slighted, Katz reported.

The witness told the paper that Knight flew into a rage and accused Smith of being a liar, saying that there had been nothing wrong with his demeanor this year.

Smith turned to leave the area, the Avalanche-Journal reported, but Knight followed. The chancellor then told Knight that he deserved more respect than Knight was showing him, according to the Avalanche-Journal.

The newspaper reports that no physical contact took place before Knight left the establishment after the confrontation, got in his car and pulled into traffic. According to the Avalanche-Journal, Knight stopped his car then and briefly got out before getting back in and driving away.

Texas Tech is 4-2 in the Big 12 this season. The Red Raiders had been unbeaten in the league until last week, when they lost to Texas and Oklahoma State.

Actually, it was Smith who very unprofessionally got in Coach's face.

"Coach"? Are you a Knight groupie?

Smith was giving Knight a back-handed compliment, after Knight's profanity-laced interview on ESPN a couple of months ago.

Knight works for Smith. Period. Knight has proven, over and over, that he simply cannot control his temper.

He's been at Tech for a couple of years now; it's about time for a major blow-up.

He's a great basketball coach and a pathetic excuse for sportsmanship.

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