BLOOMINGTON (U-WIRE) A lot has changed since Indiana University President Myles Brand fired former basketball coach Bob Knight Sept. 10, 2000.
- Paul Wong
- Knight coached at Indiana before being let go last September.<br><br>AP PHOTO
Indiana hired a new athletics director. Knight found a new job 1,100 miles away. Indiana”s spokesman during the firing, Christopher Simpson, left to start his own business. The student at the center of the firing, Kent Harvey, transferred to IUPUI.
Of the key players involved one year ago yesterday, only Brand remains at Indiana.
And he says it”s time to move on.
“It was a tumultuous year. Coach Knight has a position at Texas Tech. I wish him well,” Brand said. “We”ve moved on.”
Brand fired Knight last year for violating a “zero-tolerance policy” established by the University on May 15, 2000 a policy that would have been outlined and approved at the board of trustees” Sept. 15 meeting.
“The problem is that he has continued a pattern of unacceptable behavior which is similar to the pattern he had prior to May 15, except it”s gotten worse,” Brand said at the news conference announcing Knight”s firing.
“There wasn”t just one instance. It was ongoing.”
Knight grabbed freshman Kent Harvey at Assembly Hall the Thursday afternoon before he was fired, setting off a chain of events that would lead to his firing.
The Indiana Police Department began investigating the incident, details were leaked to the media and high level talks considering termination of Knight began.
At the N.C. State football game that Saturday last year, Brand told former athletics director Clarence Doninger that he was seriously considering termination, Doninger said.
Meanwhile, Knight had left for a brief vacation in Canada Saturday morning, despite a request from Brand that Knight stay in town.
Sunday morning, Brand offered Knight the chance to resign during a 10-minute phone conversation. Upon hearing Knight”s refusal, Brand told Knight that he was being removed effective immediately.
The firing was announced Sunday afternoon.
Looking back, Brand said the University did what it had to do, when it had to do it.
“Coach Knight did a great job while he was here. The teams performed well,” Brand said. “I”m pleased and proud of what he accomplished.”
But now, Brand said he”s focused on academics, and excited about this year”s basketball team. The University and community are over Bob Knight, he said.
“I”ve been giving talks in Indianapolis and other places,” he said. “Questions about Bob Knight aren”t being asked.”
Brand said he will mark the one year anniversary only with a full schedule Monday including a town hall meeting sponsored by the IU Student Association open to all students from 7 to 8 p.m. in Woodburn Hall 100.
“Monday is another day,” Brand said. “The University has moved on, I”ve moved on.”