Indiana to build statue in honor of legendary coach Bob Knight

Indiana The school announced Monday that it plans to erect a permanent bronze statue of Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight.

The statue will be displayed in the lobby of the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall along with the statues from the 1976 national championships.

“Coach Knight’s impact on the game of basketball is immeasurable, but his impact on this university and Hoosier basketball fans is even more profound,” Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement. “On a personal level, having begun my career as a student manager under Coach Knight, I witnessed firsthand the unparalleled standard of excellence he demanded. He taught me and countless others that success is the result of meticulous preparation and unwavering discipline.

“This statue will be a true tribute to a man who not only won games, but also changed the way the game was played.”

The announcement came on the same day that the 1975–76 Indiana men’s basketball team was honored at halftime of the Hoosiers’ game against Oregon. The 1975–76 Hoosiers were the last undefeated national champions in Division I men’s basketball.

Knight, who died in 2023 at age 83, led Indiana to three national championships and five Final Four appearances. During his time in Bloomington he went 662-239 and finished his career with 902 wins, while also leading USA Basketball to gold medals at the 1979 Pan American Games and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.

Quinn Buckner, chairperson of the Indiana University Board of Trustees, said at the time of Knight’s death, “One of the things he said to our 1976 team, which I was fortunate to be a part of, was that you’ll never see another team like it.” “Well, I don’t know that we’ll ever see another coach like him again.”

The statue is being financed by an anonymous Indiana donor.