Knight Hints at Leaving Indiana

I N D I A N A P O L I S, Oct. 25 -- After Bob Knight was fired from IndianaUniversity in September, he said he would coach again. His commentsat a charity fund-raiser Tuesday night seemed to reinforce thatassertion.

“This will be the last time I speak in Indianapolis,” Knightsaid, possibly indicating he has plans to leave the state.

Knight was fired as head basketball coach Sept. 10 for what theuniversity called a “pattern of unacceptable behavior.” Knighthad been working under a zero-tolerance policy that came aboutearlier in the year following allegations he had choked a formerplayer several years ago.

Shortly after his firing, Knight told ESPN that he wants tocontinue coaching “in the worst way.”

Support Prolonged Stay

Knight was speaking Tuesday at a fund-raiser for Horizons, asummer program that teaches academic and social skills to childrenfrom low-income families. He said he wished he’d left IU five yearsago.

“The person I’m most upset with is me. I realized what I wasdealing with five years ago,” the former coach said, referring tohis relationship with IU administrators.

Knight said the support he received from fans and players’parents made him decide to stay.

“You people made me comfortable here,” said Knight. “Idecided to stay. That was a mistake. It was a mistake five yearsago, and it was a mistake this spring.”

Knight spent 29 years at Indiana, leading the Hoosiers to threeNCAA basketball titles and 11 Big Ten championships. He alsocoached gold-medal teams in the Olympics and Pan American Games.

Still a Disciplinarian

Though out of the coaching loop for now, Knight showed he’sstill a tough teacher. When a group of students sitting in thefront row began whispering to each other, Knight shushed them.

“You’re not dealing with one of America’s politically correctteachers,” he told the girls, drawing applause from a partisancrowd.