Texas Tech Expected to Name Knight New Coach

L U B B O C K, Texas, March 21 -- Texas Tech President David Schmidly saidtoday he expects to get a recommendation by Thursday to hireBob Knight as the men's basketball coach and will accept thesuggestion from athletic director Gerald Myers.

Schmidly would then have to recommend Knight's hiring to TechChancellor John T. Montford.

"What better thing could happen for Texas Tech," Schmidly saidtoday in a news conference after an hour-long meeting with theFaculty Senate. "I like the fact that he doesn't break any rules.We've had a problem with NCAA penalties. It set this institutionback and we don't want to be on the wrong side of the NCAA rulesagain."

Tech spokeswoman Cindy Rugeley said Knight has been told that hemay be asked to come to Lubbock on Friday for a news conference.

Faculty Air Concerns

Knight has been the only candidate mentioned in Tech's searchfor a successor for James Dickey, who was fired two weeks ago.

If Montford agrees with Knight's selection, he would inform theTech Board of Regents before any job offer is made. The regents canapprove or disapprove of any hire, but lacks the power to veto.

About 50 faculty members met today with Schmidly to discussKnight.

They asked questions about whether Knight would be treateddifferently from other faculty members, how university officialswould handle any misbehavior and the impact of hiring such acontroversial figure on the university's image.

At least 90 of the university's 900 faculty members have signeda petition criticizing the former Indiana coach's behavior andadvising against his hiring.

Myers and Knight Have Longstanding Friendship

Knight, 60, was fired from IU last fall after he grabbed astudent's arm. Indiana officials said the act violated azero-tolerance behavior policy set for the volatile coach.

No other candidates have been considered for the job, Techregent James Sowell has said. A list of a dozen candidates existsbut will be considered only if Schmidly recommends against hiringKnight or if Knight turns down Tech's offer.