Peers praise Knight as top coach but admit he leaves mixed legacy

DALLAS -- Bob Knight's decision to quit as Texas Tech coach Monday in the middle of the season surprised his peers and former players, who tempered their praise of his coaching genius with acknowledgment of his unpredictable and sometimes undignified behavior.

"He's a lightning rod. You either love him or hate him," said Bulls interim coach Jim Boylan, who coached against Knight as an assistant in the Big Ten from 1986-89. "But certainly as an opposing coach, you had to be ready for games against his teams, because you were going to get their best."

Former Temple coach John Chaney described Knight as a disciplinarian, albeit one whose sideline tantrums could make him appear out of control.

"Those are snapshots of what we're all about," Chaney said. "You have to really have the story told by all the people he coached and the people that were close to him. When you start dealing with people on the outside, I don't think they can measure this man.

"He was a stickler for discipline. He was a stickler for what was right in this game," Chaney continued. "He was someone who believed that when you use the word 'discipline,' it was used as a high form of intelligence."

Knight's most famous protege is Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who played for Knight at Army.

"Outside of my immediate family, no single person has had a greater impact on my life than coach Knight," Krzyzewski said. "Simply put, I love him."

Louisville coach Rick Pitino said there is more to Knight than the blunt and gruff side that so often appears in public.

"A lot of you (media) have had difficult times with him ... but I've gotten to know him personally," Pitino said. "He's really a wonderful guy. He's a great guy. I always judge people if they're great guys if they're good listeners and they're humble. And he's, when you get to know him, very humble guy, great listener, cares about what you have to say."

New Mexico coach Steve Alford was the star player on Indiana's 1987 national title team, the last of Knight's three NCAA championships.

Alford said he was happy for Knight "because he got to start and finish his career exactly the way he wanted."

"He made me a better man and for that I am grateful," Alford said.

Although Knight will undoubtedly leave a mixed legacy after his 42 seasons as a coach, his record on the court is etched into the NCAA record book: 902 career wins, the most in men's major college basketball.