KNIGHT: A Coach's Life
Bob Knight, Bobby Knight, with Bob Hammel. . St. Martin's, $24.95 (320pp) ISBN 978-0-312-28257-8
Knight was the basketball coach of Indiana University for 29 years before being fired in September 2000. Because of his fiery—some would say uncontrollable—temper, Knight has acquired many critics over the years, but he was a hero in Indiana, where his teams had many winning years, including an undefeated season in 1975–1976. With Knight's colorful background, it's surprising that the coach has delivered a mostly colorless autobiography. After excruciating detail about his days as a high school and college basketball player, Knight bogs downs his story with dry recitations of the highlights of virtually every team he coached. And to demonstrate that he is not some rogue figure, Knight goes to great lengths to describe the many friendships he has developed over the years. The combative Knight does not emerge until he begins discussing his firing. In Knight's view, his termination was the result of the personal agenda of Indiana University president Myles Brand. Brand's determination to remove Knight was hardened by the national media, which Knight is convinced was out to destroy him. Knight, in turn, loathed most people in the media (among the exceptions is sportswriter and coauthor Hammel). As an autobiography, Knight's book is disappointing; however, college hoops fans can learn more about the game from this book than from most instructional guides.
Reviewed on: 02/18/2002
Genre: Nonfiction
Open Ebook - 320 pages - 978-1-4668-2606-9