Bob Knight’s health is declining
By Ted Holmlund
Bob KnightAP
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A reunion between Bob Knight and Indiana might never happen because the legendary coach is struggling with health issues, according to longtime Hoosiers radio voice Don Fischer.
When doing an interview on “The Drive with Jack & Tom,” a radio show based out of Lansing, Mich., Fischer was asked if he could foresee a scenario in which the former coach would mend fences with Indiana.
This was his response:
“I hesitate to say anything about that right now because coach Knight is not well,” Fischer said in the Wednesday interview (at the 9:30 mark of the below video). “He’s going through some major issues and it hurts me to even talk about it just because a man with that kind of a mind, who was so tremendous at coaching the game of basketball, and you know, at the age that we get to at this point in our lives, you want to keep thinking that that brain is never going to go away, and it appears that’s a real problem for him right now and what he’s dealing with.”
However, when reached by the Indianapolis Star on Friday, Fischer backtracked, saying he didn’t have first-hand knowledge of the 78-year-old Knight’s condition and that he was “not a doctor.”
Fischer, who originally did not want the paper to publish the story when he was contacted, later gave a statement in which he reiterated that Knight’s health “has declined.”
He also regretted talking about Knight’s health during the interview.
“Honestly, I probably shouldn’t have said what I said, because now everyone’s talking about it like there’s something really wrong with Coach Knight,” Fischer said in the statement. “That’s not what I was trying to say, I don’t mean to intimate in any way shape or form that he’s on his death bed. That’s not the case, that I know of. Just that his health has declined.”
Knight, who became infamous for his fiery outbursts, has not had a good relationship with Indiana since he was fired in 2000 for grabbing Indiana student Kent Harvey by the arm in violation of a zero-tolerance policy that was put in place after the coach was caught on tape choking former player Neil Reed, who died in 2012 of heart complications.
Knight also flashed his legendary temper when he was ejected for tossing a chair on the floor while arguing a call during the Hoosiers’ 72-63 loss to Purdue in 1985.
Knight, who campaigned extensively with President Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, has not been to the school since he was fired. He skipped many chances to return to the campus, including a 2016 event — the 40th anniversary celebration of the 1976 unbeaten national championship team.
After leaving Army, Knight won three national titles during his 29 years at Indiana, compiling a 659-242 record. Knight coached for seven seasons at Texas Tech after leaving Indiana. He later worked as a college basketball analyst on ESPN until 2015.
Allegations against Knight surfaced in October 2016 when one of his former players, Todd Jadlow, accused the legendary coach of grabbing players “by the groin” and hitting him over the head with a clipboard, among other incidents.
Jadlow, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, had his allegations backed up by another of Knight’s former players, Ricky Calloway, who said he saw Knight slap, punch and kick players and “grab guys by the groin all the time.”
According to the Indianapolis Star, Knight is scheduled to appear in a public event on April 4 at Center Grove High School with longtime friend and former Bloomington Herald-Times editor/writer Bob Hammel for “An Evening with Bob Knight.”
Hammel did not respond to an email the paper sent seeking comment.
By Ted Holmlund
Bob KnightAP
MORE ON:
BOB KNIGHT
Money going to puzzling ends at MLB and Rutgers
Why ESPN believes in TV epidemic that baffles baseball fans
Two-faced ESPN only investigates Bobby Knight after he left Bristol
Bob Knight jersey stolen from high school fundraiser
A reunion between Bob Knight and Indiana might never happen because the legendary coach is struggling with health issues, according to longtime Hoosiers radio voice Don Fischer.
When doing an interview on “The Drive with Jack & Tom,” a radio show based out of Lansing, Mich., Fischer was asked if he could foresee a scenario in which the former coach would mend fences with Indiana.
This was his response:
“I hesitate to say anything about that right now because coach Knight is not well,” Fischer said in the Wednesday interview (at the 9:30 mark of the below video). “He’s going through some major issues and it hurts me to even talk about it just because a man with that kind of a mind, who was so tremendous at coaching the game of basketball, and you know, at the age that we get to at this point in our lives, you want to keep thinking that that brain is never going to go away, and it appears that’s a real problem for him right now and what he’s dealing with.”
However, when reached by the Indianapolis Star on Friday, Fischer backtracked, saying he didn’t have first-hand knowledge of the 78-year-old Knight’s condition and that he was “not a doctor.”
Fischer, who originally did not want the paper to publish the story when he was contacted, later gave a statement in which he reiterated that Knight’s health “has declined.”
He also regretted talking about Knight’s health during the interview.
“Honestly, I probably shouldn’t have said what I said, because now everyone’s talking about it like there’s something really wrong with Coach Knight,” Fischer said in the statement. “That’s not what I was trying to say, I don’t mean to intimate in any way shape or form that he’s on his death bed. That’s not the case, that I know of. Just that his health has declined.”
Knight, who became infamous for his fiery outbursts, has not had a good relationship with Indiana since he was fired in 2000 for grabbing Indiana student Kent Harvey by the arm in violation of a zero-tolerance policy that was put in place after the coach was caught on tape choking former player Neil Reed, who died in 2012 of heart complications.
Knight also flashed his legendary temper when he was ejected for tossing a chair on the floor while arguing a call during the Hoosiers’ 72-63 loss to Purdue in 1985.
Knight, who campaigned extensively with President Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, has not been to the school since he was fired. He skipped many chances to return to the campus, including a 2016 event — the 40th anniversary celebration of the 1976 unbeaten national championship team.
After leaving Army, Knight won three national titles during his 29 years at Indiana, compiling a 659-242 record. Knight coached for seven seasons at Texas Tech after leaving Indiana. He later worked as a college basketball analyst on ESPN until 2015.
Allegations against Knight surfaced in October 2016 when one of his former players, Todd Jadlow, accused the legendary coach of grabbing players “by the groin” and hitting him over the head with a clipboard, among other incidents.
Jadlow, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, had his allegations backed up by another of Knight’s former players, Ricky Calloway, who said he saw Knight slap, punch and kick players and “grab guys by the groin all the time.”
According to the Indianapolis Star, Knight is scheduled to appear in a public event on April 4 at Center Grove High School with longtime friend and former Bloomington Herald-Times editor/writer Bob Hammel for “An Evening with Bob Knight.”
Hammel did not respond to an email the paper sent seeking comment.
