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'This will never be over' Knight's son: Investigation took major toll on family
Posted: Friday May 19, 2000 12:53 PM
BLOOMINTON, Ind. (AP) -- Four days after Indiana University announced Bob Knight would remain basketball coach, much of the hype surrounding allegations of his misconduct has subsided. But not for Pat Knight. Not yet. Bob Knight's son and IU's assistant basketball coach is fuming, claiming his family name has been dragged through the mud. "This isn't over. This will never be over for any of us," Knight told The Indianapolis Star on Thursday. "There were people out there trying to get us fired. I took this personally. This is my family you're messing with," he said. The younger of Bob Knight's two sons said the recent controversy involving his dad was not handled well on many fronts. "I think my dad is taking this all OK, at least as well as he can," said Pat Knight. "What has been tough is the effect it has had on my whole family." Pat Knight said even his 84-year-old maternal grandmother in Florida received calls from media outlets. On Monday, IU president Myles Brand announced Bob Knight could keep his job as basketball coach as long as he adhered to a zero-tolerance behavior policy, and agreed to a $30,000 fine and a three-game suspension. Pat Knight, 29, said the seven-week investigation has taught him who his real friends are. "This has been a hell of a learning experience," Pat Knight said. "You find there's a lot of guys out there who you thought would speak for you and they didn't. But then again, there's some guys you never thought would be there for you and they are." One of those people was Temple coach John Chaney. "Chaney has been a warrior," Pat Knight said. "To me, he's one of the family now. If he ever needs anything, I'll always be there for him. Everything he did, he did on his own." The younger Knight was surprised more coaches didn't stand up for his dad when allegations first surfaced about the choking incident with former player Neil Reed. Pat Knight said he knows many coaches put hands on players, but few spoke in his father's defense. "Nowadays, the thing to do is be so-called politically correct," Pat Knight said. "They want to be liked by everybody and have a good rapport in the media, and they didn't want any negative publicity against them even though they knew they should say something. "That's not right. You've got to do what you believe in. That's what my dad does," Pat Knight said. "Sure, it has gotten him in trouble, but I'd rather live that way than as a phony."
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