What Happened Between Coach K and Late Bob Knight? Deep Dive Into Fractured Relationship of Once Close Friends

The Hall of Fame head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, Bob Knight, passed away this Wednesday at the age of 83. He took his last breath at his home in Bloomington, surrounded by his loved ones and family. The General was one of the most successful Division I men’s college basketball coaches and still ranks 6th among the coaches with the most wins. He won three national titles at Indiana during his tenure as head coach from 1971 to 2000.

Knight also helped kickstart the career of Mike Krzyzewski, popularly known as Coach K. The two coaches shared a great bond and were once close friends. But some notable instances caused a rift in their relationship, and they drifted apart over the years. Let us dive deeper into the fractured relationship of Coach K and Late Bob Knight.

Coach K and Late Bob Knight’s rocky relationship

Mike Krzyzewski played point guard under coach Bob Knight at the West Point US Military Academy from 1966 to 1969. The two developed a close friendship as teacher-student, and Coach K even became an assistant coach for Bob Knight at Indiana University. Krzyzewski eventually parted ways with Knight as he was hired by the army as head coach, but the two continued to be close friends. Problems between the two legendary coaches started when Coach K took on his ultimate role as the Head Coach of Duke University, and they began competing on a nightly basis.

The fallout between Coach K and Bob Knight has been addressed in the book “Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski” by Ian O’Connor. After Knight and Coach K’s clash in the 1992 national semifinal game, Krzyzewski approached his mentor for a postgame handshake. Stunned by the loss, Knight reciprocated with a cold handshake and did not say much to Coach K. That incident shook Coach K, and their relationship was never the same. Knight further expressed his disdain after the post-game interview by giving the cold shoulder to Krzyzewski while congratulating Duke players on their win.

The Final Nail in the Coffin

The relationship between Coach K and Bob Knight took one more hit when Coach K denied his former mentor’s offer to help him scout for Team USA for the 2008 Olympics. That could have been a chance for Krzyzewski to mend his relationship with Knight, but he chose otherwise. But the final nail in the coffin came in 2015 during an Army players’ reunion in Pinehurst. O’Connor termed the 2015 meeting between the two coaches a “Disaster”. Knight was sitting at the table with a few of his friends as Coach K approached his mentor to greet him.

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However, Bob Knight did not want to have a conversation with Krzyzewski and continued talking to his friends, ignoring Coach K altogether. Coach K tried to give it one more shot and got down on one knee to start a conversation with Knight. Following the interaction, the Duke Head Coach said, “OK, that’s the end of that.” That was the final straw that broke their relationship.

Coach K and Bob Knight will go down as two of the Greatest coaches in college basketball history and it is a shame that they could not mend their relationship before Coach Knight’s passing.

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