On Wednesday night I heard the news about the legendary basketball coach Bob Knight and his passing, there were some emotions I didn’t really expect. As a fan of the Texas Rangers, I was trying to enjoy the moment of their first World Series championship. Once the game ended I thought about Knight’s time at Texas Tech.
As a teenager in Lubbock, Texas, I enjoyed the early 2000s as a fan of Texas Tech athletics. Two very polarizing head coaches were on campus at the time with Mike Leach running the football program and Bob Knight putting his stamp on the basketball program. For someone who never had the opportunity to sit down with Coach Leach or Coach Knight, their passings still had quite an impact on me. Leach gave me a love for Air Raid offenses and Knight gave me a love for passionate basketball.
Bob Knight wasn’t always easy to get along with from what I have heard from others in the industry, but for those of us who attended games at the United Supermarkets Arena, we were mostly fond of him. He after all led us to four NCAA Tournament appearances during his time and one of his assistants, Chris Beard, came close to bringing the first national championship to Lubbock in men’s basketball.
Despite all that he did on the basketball court, my favorite memory of Bob Knight didn’t come on the hardwood. On the night of his passing, I remembered a moment that was 15 years prior to the day. It was on the morning before the Texas vs Texas Tech football game when Michael Crabtree gave Red Raider fans a moment we still cherish.
That morning on College Gameday, Knight was the guest picker and I couldn’t help but laugh and cheer along with all those Red Raider fans who gathered to see Tech finally get to host the weekly event.
Rest in peace coach. As we remember the legendary coach, here are several photos from his time on the Plains of West Texas.