I do not remember the year, but Bob Knight was at the top of his career as basketball coach at Indiana University.  My brother Tom & I knew a family that had several people graduate from IU.  The mom of the family had always wanted to see an IU basketball game.

One of her kids wrote a letter to Bob Knight explaining the situation and asking for his help.  Knight immediately arranged for seats at an IU home game next to the home bench.  Let’s just say the mom was not prepared for the language used by the coach, but otherwise it was a magical experience for her.

That was a part of Bob Knight.  He could be charitable and giving.  But there was the other side of Knight.

John Feinstein spent an entire season with Knight and wrote the book Season On The Brink.  During his book tour, when asked his impressions of Bob Knight the person, he responded that Bob Knight was the best person Feinstein had ever known and the worst person he had ever known.

My brother-in-law Fred Glass, during his 10-year tenure as IU Athletic Director, met with Knight and tried to convince him to return to Assembly Hall during a home game.  Fred also worked with former players with which Knight had a close relationship, asking them to talk with the coach.

It all came to fruition on February 8, 2020.  Fred got his wish and Bob Knight was honored at Indiana University in the building where he plied his trade so well, before a large crowd of IU fans.

Fred once told me we are all package deals, meaning, no human is totally good or bad.  With Bob Knight we had the good and the bad.  It is up to you to decide what you think has legacy should be.  No doubt, he was a complicated man that was one of the best basketball coaches to ever roam the sidelines.