Bob Knight may not be done with coaching quite yet. It seems that the same classy wrestling organization that paid Pacman Jones $25,000 to pretend he got beaten up by someone, is now turning their attention to Bobby Knight. Yes, TNA Wrestling has offered its first-ever head coaching job to Bob Knight. You can actually see it announced on video here.
TNA has already made direct overtures to Knight, who has yet to offer a response.
Now, as lame as this sounds, and it is pretty lame, Knight is definitely the right guy to be a
1976 -- Criticized nationally for pulling guard Jim Wisman off the court by his jersey.
July 1979 -- Arrested in Puerto Rico, charged with assaulting a police officer; convicted in absentia in August.
1980 -- Fires a starting pistol at postgame news conference to startle a Louisville newspaper reporter.
Feb. 23, 1985 -- Throws a chair across the floor during a loss to Purdue. Three technical fouls, ejection from the game, and national attention follow.
1987 -- Puerto Rico drops its efforts to extradite Knight.
March 1987 -- Bangs fist on scorer's table during an NCAA regional tournament game against LSU. NCAA fines IU $10,000 and reprimands Knight.
Nov. 21, 1987 -- Knight won't leave the floor after being ejected during a USA team game. He drew three technical fouls which resulted in the game being forfeited to the
April 25, 1988 -- Provokes outrage during an NBC interview with Connie Chung. In describing the experience of losing, he said, "I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it."
March 25, 1992 -- Knight pretends to whip black player Calbert Cheaney, drawing national attention and protest from the local NAACP and other black leaders.
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Dec. 7, 1993 -- Pulls son Patrick from the game and appears to kick him in the leg. Crowd boos. Knight later says he kicked the chair, not his son.
March 9, 1994 -- Butts heads with Sherron Wilkerson during a courtside huddle. Later both say it was accidental.
March 17, 1995 -- IU fined a record $30,000 after Knight berates an NCAA volunteer at a news conference following IU's first-round loss to Missouri.
March 1998 -- Knight pays a $10,000 fine rather than accept a suspension from an NCAA tournament game. The fine resulted from derogatory remarks Knight made to referee Ted Valentine during a February game against Illinois.
June 1999 -- Christopher Foster accuses Knight of choking him during an altercation in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant. After much publicity, no charges were filed.
Oct. 12, 1999 -- Injures longtime friend Thomas Mikunda in a hunting accident in Wisconsin. He was cited for failure to report a hunting accident and two violations involving hunting without a license.
Feb. 19, 2000 -- Knight berates his boss, Athletics Director Clarence Doninger, when Doninger tries to console the coach after a loss to OSU. Doninger later said he felt physically threatened by Knight.
March 14, 2000 -- In a televised CNN/Sports Illustrated report, Neil Reed alleges Knight grabbed him by the neck during a 1997 practice
Reed also alleged that Knight wiped himself with toilet paper in front of players to make a point.
May 10, 2000 -- Jeanette Hartgraves, secretary to the IU athletics director, tells The Indianapolis Star she felt physically threatened by Knight in a February 1998 confrontation in which he called her a "f------ bitch" and was advancing on her in anger. Clarence Doninger, the IU athletic director, stepped in to restrain Knight. Hartgraves also told of an episode in the late 1980s in which an angry Knight flung a potted plant against a wall, shattering a ceramic pot and a glass picture frame. Hartgraves said she was showered by glass and debris but not injured.
May 11, 2000 -- Two more accusations surface about violent behavior by Knight. There were reports that Knight attacked assistant coach Ron Felling and threw him off a chair after overhearing Felling criticizing the basketball program in a telephone conversation. Sources also said that Knight choked and punched IU's longtime sports information director, Kit Klingelhofer, in the 1970s, over a news release that upset the coach.
Sept. 7, 2000 -- Knight grabs IU freshman Kent Harvey by the arm and lectures him on respect after hearing Harvey remark "Hey, Knight, what's up?" Harvey reports the incident to campus police and says Knight yanked his arm and swore at him. Knight denies he was rough.
Nov. 2007 -- Knight's accused by two people of shooting at them while he was hunting. One woman said she was hit in the foot by birdshot fired by the Texas Tech coach while he was hunting. However, Knight came over to the woman and apologized, saying it was an accident - and she believed his claim. But another man said Knight intentionally shot at him the next day, when he yelled at the coach for hunting too close to his house. Neither day’s shots caused any injuries, nor were any charges filed.
Suddenly, Pacman seems like a rather tame guest to have had in the ring in comparison to Knight. Besides, it's guns for show, whips for a pro.
Personally, I think Knight's "Touch of Death" move on Reed is something that needs to be shared. If he teaches that move to any wrestler, Knight will definitely see a few more championships before his career ends.
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