The Fan's Corner 9/28/00 - Firing of Bobby Knight was right move

By Greg Duff

In the aftermath of that action, the question on everybody's mind was not whether Bobby Knight would abide by the new rules, but rather when he would break them.

The next logical question was when he crossed that line in the sand, would the university administration have the courage to fulfill its threat to fire him on the spot.

Fortunately, for those of us who value the sanctity of sport, President Brand fulfilled his promise and removed Bobby Knight from the coaching ranks.

Since the firing of Bobby Knight, a number of comparisons have been made between Knight and former Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes. I was fortunate to meet Coach Hayes as a graduate student at Ohio State when the old coach still served the university as a humble history instructor. The comparison of Hayes and Knight are without merit. Coach Hayes could never have been accused of being a patsy. His temper and intensity were legendary; however, he never had the history of treating players, coaches and administrators the way Coach Knight did.

Ultimately, Woody's temper got the best of him and culminated in the punching of Clemson football player Charlie Bauman in the 1978 Gator Bowl. Following this incident, the Ohio State administration acted swiftly and fired Coach Hayes immediately. Instead of blaming university officials, Coach Hayes accepted his punishment with dignity and went off to do what he did best: teach kids.

For the rest of his life and tenure at Ohio State, Hayes led a quiet existence teaching military history but retained the tremendous admiration and loyalty of Ohio State fans everywhere. After his death, some 35,000 people filed into Ohio Stadium for his memorial service that was televised across Ohio.

The coach that Bobby Knight most resembles is one that is probably not well known to fans in the Southeast. Frank Kush coached football at Arizona State University for 22 years in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. His temper and treatment of players is infamous. Like Knight, Kush had a devoted following among former players and alumni and was feared by the university administration.

In 1979 he was sued by a player for allegedly punching him during the most lopsided loss of his career. While the university initially supported him, it reversed course after several other players corroborated the story. He was subsequently removed as head football coach and proceeded to do a very Knight-like act blaming the university administration for his undoing.

Frank Kush never again coached in college. He moved through the professional ranks in the NFL, CFL and the USFL. In an example of time healing wounds, Kush has been rehired by Arizona State as an assistant to the athletic director.

So the next question emerges: What will Bobby Knight do next? Will he fade into the shadows like Woody Hayes or follow the same trail blazed by Frank Kush and head for the pros? Based on his comments, it seems unlikely that he will leave the national spotlight anytime soon. Given Bobby Knight's great love of history, I suspect he will have learned from Jerry Tarkanian and Rick Pittino, who both discovered that success in the college ranks does not guarantee similar success in the pros.

Most members of the media believe that Bobby Knight will coach in college again, and soon. But why would an athletic director or university president want him? While he is regarded as one of best college basketball coaches ever, his Indiana teams have not made it past the Sweet Sixteen in the last eight years, losing six times in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament during that time span.

Combine his record of late with his disregard for authority, an ego without equal, and a complete lack of respect for anyone who might disagree with him, and you have a person who should not coach college kids again. Unfortunately, in this day of win-at-all-costs, some weak-willed university administrator will probably bow to the pressure of an overzealous alumni and hire Bobby Knight. As a fan, I hope that day never comes.

Back to Sports: 09/28/00.