Report: Knight Could Be Named Texas Tech Coach Soon

L U B B O C K, Texas, March 20, 2001 -- Former Indiana basketball coach BobbyKnight, who could be introduced as Texas Tech's new coach as soonas Friday morning, still faces a couple more hurdles this week.

If Tech president David Schmidly and athletic director GeraldMyers recommend that Knight be hired and Chancellor John Montfordgives his approval, Knight could be offered the job, a universityspokeswoman said.

The job must remain open for 10 business days, or until 5 p.m.Friday. The position became available when James Dickey was firedMarch 9 — four days after Schmidly and Myers met with Knight inFlorida about the job.

"The university cannot officially extend a job offer or acceptthat it will be taken until the 10-day process is complete,"spokeswoman Cindy Rugeley told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal fortoday's editions. "They can say that they intend to extend anoffer and that coach Knight — if he is their choice — has indicated that he will accept their offer."

Some Faculty Are Opposed to Knight’s Hiring

She said Schmidly also plans to meet Wednesday with the FacultySenate in response to concerns about Knight's hiring. Dozens ofprofessors are petitioning against the fired Indiana coach with aninfamous temper.

A source told The Dallas Morning News in today's editions thatif that meeting is successful, a news conference would be calledFriday to name Knight as the new coach.

Rugeley said Schmidly won't make a hiring decision until theFaculty Senate meeting.

Nearly 90 faculty members have endorsed an e-mail petitionopposing Knight, citing several highly publicized outbursts duringhis 29 years with the Hoosiers. He is the only candidateinterviewed so far to replace Dickey.

Tech philosophy professor Walter Schaller hand-delivered thepetition to Schmidly's office Wednesday and requested a meetingbetween Knight and Tech faculty.

Although Schmidly denied the meeting with Knight, he has said hewould consider the faculty's concerns in deciding whether torecommend Knight to Montford.

"I don't expect Dr. Schmidly's thought process to go as far aswhat he will recommend until he has heard the faculty out,"Rugeley said.

Other Candidates Could Be Considered

Myers has reportedly contacted the coach of one of the state'stop high school recruits, 6-foot-9 forward Emeka Okafor, to gaugethe player's interest if Knight gets the head coaching job.

"He said it's not for certain, but it's a pretty good chancecoach Knight would get hired at Texas Tech," Bellaire High Schoolcoach Dave Hudek told Houston television station KRIV on Monday."I felt that coach Knight is going to be the coach at Texas Techin the next few days or early next week."

There is also a slight chance that Tech is considering morecandidates.

Red Raiders athletic director Gerald Myers said he developed alist of about 10 potential candidates, though Knight was the onlyone invited to the campus.

Myers said he can't divulge the names of the other possiblecandidates because they are employed elsewhere and haven't giventheir permission.