PEORIA, Ill. – One of Bob Knight’s former players at Indiana says the coach’s lasting impact was the compassion he had for his Hoosier players.
Knight, who coached the Indiana mens’ basketball team from 1971-2000 and won three national championships with the Hoosiers, passed away Tuesday night at the age of 83.
Chris Reynolds played for Knight for four seasons in the early 90’s, with the highlight being an appearance in the 1992 Final Four.
He tells WMBD’s “Greg and Dan” the moment that made him want to play for Indiana and Coach Knight.
“When he came to Peoria to recruit me, he sat in our living room and he talked about education the whole time,” Reynolds said. “And then near the end, he said ‘I can’t guarantee you’ll play, but you’ll certainly get your education.’ And that’s when I decided that’s where I want to go to school.”
Reynolds says mentorship from Knight was prominent in his four years in Bloomington, Ind. He says that includes numerous conversations about life after basketball for Reynolds.
Reynolds also credits Knight for putting him in a program at Indiana that was the inspiration for an initiative at Bradley University, where student-athletes work with schools in Peoria.
Reynolds also talked about one of the more well-known traits about Knight, his temper. He says players got used to it, and likened it to a parent’s care for their child.
“You can get on a young person, if they know you love and care about them,” Reynolds said. “And, you don’t mind diving after that loose ball. You don’t mind practicing for three hours, if you know that adult, that coach, that mentor, cares about you deeply.”
Reynolds says his relationship with Knight showed that a student-athlete’s relationship with their coach isn’t just for four years, it’s that it can last a lifetime.
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