Knight to Get Coaching Offer on Friday

L U B B O C K, Texas, March 22, 2001 -- Bob Knight will be offered Texas Tech’shead coaching job Friday following a whirlwind courtship that beganfour days before Tech fired James Dickey.

Texas Tech spokeswoman Cindy Rugeley said athletic directorGerald Myers told her he would recommend Knight, his friend of 30years, for the job. Tech president David Schmidly said Wednesday hewould follow Myers’ recommendation.

Late Wednesday night, Schmidly said he received Myers’ writtenrecommendation but wouldn’t disclose the contents.

“I didn’t know that he had made his recommendation, but I don’tthink anything has happened that would change his mind,” Rugeleysaid Wednesday night.

She said she fully anticipated Thursday’s tasks would includecalling a news conference for Friday.

10-Day Waiting Period Winds Down

Knight can be named as Tech’s coach as soon as a 10-day waitingperiod expires at 2 p.m. Friday. Dickey was fired on March 9.

“Gerald Myers told me this afternoon that he was going torecommend that Bob Knight be hired,” Rugeley said.

Schmidly seemed to be in agreement with Myers’ recommendationfollowing a rather tame faculty senate meeting that was expected tobring vehement opposition, but instead brought a discourse abouthow Knight would fit into the university and how the universitywould handle any misbehavior.

“What better thing could happen for Texas Tech,” Schmidly saidof Knight coming to Tech following the hour-long meeting.

“I like the fact that he doesn’t violate NCAA rules and that’sthe way he chooses to win,” Schmidly said. “We’ve had a problemwith NCAA penalties. And that’s set this institution back. We don’tever want to be on the wrong side of the NCAA rules again.”

Schmidly Cites Admiration, Respect

Schmidly also said he expects the respect and admiration Knighthas for Myers to prevent any outbursts like those reported duringthe coach’s 29 years at Indiana.

“If the incidents that happened at Indiana were to be repeated,I would have to terminate Coach Knight,” the president told about50 faculty members at the meeting.

Knight, 60, was fired from Indiana last fall after he grabbed astudent’s arm. Indiana officials said the act violated azero-tolerance behavior policy.

“One thing that has weighed closely in my mind is his respectand admiration for my athletic director,” Schmidly said.

Myers wouldn’t say what his recommendation was, but one ofTech’s regents earlier this week said if he was to make a bet hewould bet on Knight being named by week’s end.

Once Schmidly approves Myers’ recommendation, Tech ChancellorJohn Montford will be asked to concur — an action that is seenmerely as a formality.

Montford then would be responsible for informing Tech’s Board ofRegents. The regents can approve or disapprove of any hire, butlack the power to veto.

Already Recruiting

Houston television station KRIV reported Wednesday that Knighthad called Bellaire High School coach Dave Hudek to let him know hewanted forward Emeka Okafor to visit Tech and hopes to sign him.

Hudek said Knight told him they were trying to “get this thingdone by Friday” and he was excited to talk about Okafor.

About 100 of the university’s 900 faculty members have signed apetition criticizing Knight’s behavior and advising against hishiring.

During the meeting, faculty members asked questions aboutwhether Knight would be treated differently from other facultymembers, how university officials would handle any misbehavior, andhow hiring such a controversial figure could affect theuniversity’s image.

“My concern is even before the man is named, there iscontroversy,” said Marc Giccardo, an assistant professor ofarchitecture. “I don’t know Coach Knight, but I wanted to let youknow that there are coaching alternatives to what Coach Knight hasrepresented in many venues and we’ve seen physically.”

A Decision of the Heart

During a meeting with Knight and his wife, Schmidly said hetalked with Knight about his behavior. Schmidly said Knight spokeof new coaching strategies he would like to put into play and saidhe wasn’t proud of some of his responses in the past.

“This is a decision that is going to boil down to what do youfeel here,” Schmidly told faculty members, placing his fist overhis heart. “This is a decision that boils down to what do you feelin your gut and your heart. And I am responsible for thatdecision.”

Myers and Schmidly contacted Knight four days before Dickey’sfiring.

Knight has been the only candidate publicly mentioned as asuccessor to Dickey. Schmidly said a list of 10 other candidateshas been drawn up but many on the list are in the middle of theNCAA tournament and it wouldn’t be proper to contact them while inthe middle of competition.

Knight has said he finds Texas Tech “very appealing.”

“I think he really is a person looking for a fresh start,”Schmidly said. “He thinks Texas is one of the best places torecruit.”

The president noted another plus from Knight’s four-day campusvisit last week.

“Even the sandstorm didn’t bother him,” Schmidly said.