Bobby Knight called it quits Monday, February 8 when he resigned as head basketball coach for Texas Tech University. With only ten games remaining in Texas Tech’s regular season, I can’t help but ask good ole Bobby, why?
Having a reputation for being intense, stern and overly demanding of his players the first word that pops to mind is hypocrite. For 42 years Bobby coached with a never-say-die mentality. He drilled the importance of hard work, dedication, and loyalty into countless player’s mind that played under his authority. Instead of waiting for the season to end and formally announcing his retirement to the public, Bobby threw in the towel, not chair, without warning. This midseason walk out leads one to question if this disciplinarian is lacking some self-discipline of his own.
Instead of walking out on his team and coaching staff, Bobby should have remained as head coach for the final ten games and publicly announced his retirement in a press conference. The harsh criticism from the public, media and fans would have altogether been avoided. After establishing what most believe to be a successful career, he does, after all, hold the all-time record for most career wins; Bobby has jeopardized his successful status by jumping ship on his team and leaving his son, Pat, as captain.
ESPN.com’s Pat Forde talks of Bobby Knight as being a self-centered hypocrite his entire career. He claims that Knight used Texas Tech simply to get his 900th win and the all time career win record. He also points out how the seniors must feel after playing for Coach Knight for almost four years and then having him walk out on them. I found the article interesting and thought he raised many good points. You can read more about Bobby Knight and his abrupt exit here at espn.com
“Peace! I’m outa here!”
