Bob Knight’s coaching tree is without doubt one of the maximum illustrious of college basketball historical past, if for no different explanation why than for the truth that it produced Mike Krzyzewski. Krzyzewski performed for Knight at Army and labored for him in brief at Indiana sooner than embarking at the winningest head coaching profession of all time in Division I males’s basketball, a run highlighted by 5 nationwide titles at Duke.
The dating between Knight and Krzyzewski featured some tribulations through the years as each competed for nationwide titles at main manufacturers within the recreation. In the wake of Knight’s dying on Wednesday, then again, Krzyzewski left little question concerning the have an effect on Knight had on his personal adventure.
“We lost one of the greatest coaches in the history of basketball,” Krzyzewski said. “Clearly, he was one of a kind. Coach Knight recruited me, mentored me, and had a profound impact on my career and in my life. This is a tremendous loss for our sport and our family is deeply saddened by his passing.”
While Krzyzewski is the headliner of Knight’s coaching tree, he’s simply one of the former avid gamers or assistants below Knight who went on to achieve lofty heights within the coaching career. As the sports activities global continues reflecting at the lifestyles and legacy of Knight — the great and the unhealthy — here’s a have a look at the notable names from his coaching tree.
Assistants
Chris Beard
Beard served as an assistant below Knight all through his whole run at Texas Tech from 2001-08 and stayed with this system during the 2010-11 season below Pat Knight. In 2015, Beard landed a Division I head coaching task of his personal and has since collected a 171-73 file at Little Rock, Texas Tech and Texas. He is getting into his first season at Ole Miss.
Mike Davis
Davis served as an assistant below Knight at Indiana from 1997 to 2000 and succeeded him, first as IU’s meantime trainer after which because the full-time trainer. He reached NCAA Tournaments with the Hoosiers, UAB and Texas Southern, and is now getting into his 6th season at Detroit Mercy.
Don DeVoe
Devoe labored as an assistant for Knight at Army for a number of seasons sooner than embarking on a coaching profession that took him everywhere the rustic, headlined by an 11-year run at Tennessee that integrated six NCAA Tournament appearances.
Murry Bartow
Bartow labored as an assistant below Knight from 1985-87 sooner than guiding UAB and East Tennessee State to NCAA Tournament appearances as a trainer.
Dave Bliss
Bliss labored below Knight at Army and Indiana. His Division I college coaching profession resulted in disgrace at Baylor after stops at New Mexico, SMU and Oklahoma.
Bob Weltich
Weltich labored for Knight in his early years at Indiana sooner than serving as the pinnacle trainer at Ole Miss, Texas, FIU and South Alabama.
Players
Mike Krzyzewski
Krzyzewski performed 4 seasons for Knight at Army and spent 365 days as an assistant for him at Indiana sooner than returning to West Point to start out a mythical head coaching profession. Krzyzewski is one in every of simply 5 coaches with extra all-time victories (1,202) than Knight (902) at the NCAA’s legit ledger.
Mike Woodson
Woodson by no means coached with Knight however starred below him as a participant from 1976-80 sooner than embarking on a four-decade adventure during the NBA as a participant, assistant and trainer. He returned to Indiana as its trainer in 2021 and has guided the Hoosiers to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances thru two seasons at the task.
“He influenced my life in ways I could never repay,” Woodson mentioned of Knight.Â
Steve Alford
Alford starred below Knight from 1983 to 1987 and was once the main scorer for a countrywide championship crew his senior yr. He is now on his 5th Division I coaching task at Nevada and is among the highest 50 all-time wins leaders in college basketball.
Isaiah Thomas
Thomas starred for Knight from 1979-81. He labored as trainer within the NBA (Pacers and Knicks) and in college (FIU).
Michael Lewis
Lewis performed for Knight from 1996-2000 and labored below him as a graduate assistant at Texas Tech sooner than emerging during the ranks to change into the trainer at Ball State in 2022. He guided the Cardinals to a 20-12 mark in his first season.
Keith Smart
Smart performed two seasons at Indiana and began for the Hoosiers’ 1987 name crew. He spent over 20 years as a qualified assistant and is now on group of workers at Arkansas.
Jim Crews
Crews performed for Knight’s undefeated 1976 championship crew at Indiana and due to this fact spent a number of years as an assistant at IU sooner than coaching at Evansville, Army and Saint Louis.
Pat Knight
Knight’s son performed for his dad from 1991-95, labored for him at Indiana and Texas Tech and later served because the trainer of Texas Tech and Lamar.
Randy Wittman
Wittman performed for Knight at IU from 1978-83 and spent the following 30-plus years as an NBA participant and trainer.
Student managers
Dusty May
May labored as a scholar supervisor below Knight from 1996-2000 all through the tail finish of his tenure. He went directly to paintings for fellow Knight scholar Mike Davis at UAB and ultimately landed the FAU task in 2018. He entered the nationwide highlight ultimate season by guiding the Owls to the Final Four.
“Bob Knight was truly a legend in every sense of the word,” May wrote on Twitter. “The impact that he had on me and so many others simply can’t be measured.”
Lawrence Frank
Frank labored as a supervisor for Knight at IU from 1988-92 sooner than embarking on an extended college {and professional} coaching profession that integrated coaching stints with the Nets and Pistons. He is now president of basketball operations for the Clippers.
Joe Pasternack
Pasternack is but every other scholar supervisor from Knight’s later years at Indiana who went directly to change into a head trainer. He is getting into Year 7 at UC Santa Barbara and has guided the Gauchos to 2 of the previous 3 NCAA Tournaments.