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Bob Knight chronology

Sept. 10, 2000
SportsLine.com wire reports

A chronology of events involving Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight, who was fired Sunday:

1975-76 -- Upset over two turnovers, Knight grabbed sophomore Jim Wisman by the jersey and jerked him into his seat.

1979 -- Was charged, and later tried and convicted in absentia, for hitting a Puerto Rican policeman before practice at the Pan American Games. Knight was sentenced to six months in jail but Puerto Rico decided in 1987 to drop efforts to extradite him.

1979-80 -- Playfully fired a blank shot at a reporter. A week later Knight and his wife took turns at the microphone and chided the Assembly Hall crowd for not cheering enough during a game against Northwestern.

1980-81 -- Irritated Purdue fans and officials by bringing a donkey onto his TV show wearing a Boilermakers cap. Later, in Philadelphia for the Final Four, Knight was involved in a hotel shoving match with an LSU fan, who said Knight stuffed him in a garbage can.

1981-82 -- Ohio State guard Troy Taylor said Knight cursed him after he thought Taylor flagrantly fouled a player. Knight denied the charge and sent films of what happened to the Big Ten and Ohio State. Ohio State later supported Knight.

1982-83 -- Critical of Big Ten officiating, Knight stood at midcourt cursing at Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke, who was sitting in the press box. Two days later, Knight assailed the referees for the "worst officiating I have seen in 12 years."

1984-85 -- Tossed a chair across the court during a game against Purdue. Knight was ejected and suspended one game by the Big Ten. He later apologized.

1985-86 -- Received a technical foul for shouting at the officials during a game against Illinois, then kicked a megaphone and chewed out the Indiana cheerleaders for disrupting a free throw attempt by Steve Alford.

1986-87 -- Banged his fist on the scorer's table after being assessed a technical foul during an NCAA regional tournament game against LSU. The university was fined $10,000 by the NCAA and Knight received a reprimand.

1987-88 -- Refused to let his team finish an exhibition game against the Soviet Union after he was ejected for arguing with a referee. He was later reprimanded by the university.

1988 -- In an NBC interview with Connie Chung, who asked how he handles stress, Knight replied, "I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it." He explained he was talking about something beyond one's control, not the act of rape. The remark triggered protests and a march of about 300 people on the campus.

1990-91 -- Asked not to be nominated again to the Basketball Hall of Fame, calling the voters' rejection of him in 1987 a "slap in the face." He was elected and inducted into the Hall in 1991.

1990-91 -- Publicly feuded with Illinois coach Lou Henson, who called him a "classic bully" who thrives on intimidation.

1991-92 -- Barred a female reporter from the locker room, saying it was inappropriate for her to be in there and against university policy. All reporters were subsequently barred from the locker room.

1991-92 -- Canceled the annual team banquet after a loss to Purdue cost Indiana a share of the Big Ten championship.

1991-92 -- Playfully gave a mock whipping to Calbert Cheaney, a black player, during practice for the NCAA West Regional. Several black leaders said they were offended. Knight denied any racial connotations. He noted the bull whip was given to him by the players, including Cheaney.

1993-94 -- Was suspended for one game after a sideline tirade in a 101-82 victory over Notre Dame. Knight screamed at his son, Pat, and kicked him in the leg. When fans behind the Indiana bench booed, Knight turned and responded with an obscenity.

1993-94 -- Accidentally head-butted freshman Sherron Wilkerson during a timeout at Michigan State. After the next game, the Hoosiers' home finale against Wisconsin, Knight took the public address microphone and recited a profane verse directed at his critics.

1994-95 -- Was reprimanded and fined $30,000 by the NCAA for an outburst at a news conference during the NCAA tournament. Miffed that an NCAA media liaison erroneously said he would not attend the news conference, Knight lashed out at him.

1997-98 -- Was fined $10,000 by the Big Ten for berating referee Ted Valentine, whose officiating Knight called "the greatest travesty" he had seen in his coaching career. Knight received three technical fouls and was ejected by Valentine during the second half of a loss to Illinois.

1999 -- Investigated for possible battery after allegedly choking a man at a restaurant. The man reportedly confronted Knight as he was leaving, contending he heard Knight make a racist remark.

March 2000 -- Was investigated by the university after former player Neil Reed said Knight choked him during a practice in 1997. A videotape of the practice appeared to support Reed. Reports then surfaced of other confrontations. In one, a university secretary said an enraged Knight once threw a vase in her direction.

May 2000 -- Was fined $30,000, suspended for three games and placed under a "zero-tolerance" behavior policy.

Sept. 7, 2000 -- Accused of grabbing a student by the arm and lecturing him about manners after the coach was addressed solely by his last name.

Sept. 10, 2000 -- Fired for violating the "zero-tolerance" policy and for what university president Myles Brand called a "pattern of unacceptable behavior."


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