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Knight: My Story
biography
387 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 2002
41 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Bob Knight
29 books5 followersBob Knight compiled one of the greatest records ever in college basketball: 5 National Coach of the Year awards, 3 NCAA championships, 11 Big Ten championships, an Olympics championship, and 902 victories overall, along with achieving a near-perfect graduation rate for his players. Knight was also a featured commentator for ESPN’s college basketball coverage, on camera at least once a week. His first book, Knight: My Story, spent five weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Bob Hammel is the coauthor of both books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 23, 2022
This was a good autobiographical account by the infamous Coach Knight. It was a full personal account including family, his childhood, high school years and his development for love of the game, college, and subsequent coaching years at the various colleges and universities. He talked about his firing from Indiana University and finding coaching in Lubbock a second chance. He never viewed it as an end but a new challenge to undertake. One section was entirely dedicated to listing his fines, reprimands, disciplinary actions, and outcomes all stemming from his behavior as head coach of Hoosier basketball.
Overall this was a slow and a bit run-on in thought but I was able to finish it. It was a first-person story so it was to be expected. Lastly, it was told from the heart and with conviction. I would recommend this to anyone interested in sports memoirs or basketball. Thanks!
Overall this was a slow and a bit run-on in thought but I was able to finish it. It was a first-person story so it was to be expected. Lastly, it was told from the heart and with conviction. I would recommend this to anyone interested in sports memoirs or basketball. Thanks!
September 25, 2025
There are many books about Bobby Knight. This one is different because he participated and helped write it. It spans from Knight’s childhood in Orville, Ohio, to Ohio State as a player, through West Point and Bloomington, Indiana as a coach, to his arrival in Lubbock for the Texas Tech job. Knight discusses all his great teams and great players. For all his faults and mistakes, he truly loved and educated his players. Over the years, the media has primarily presented a one sided negative view of Knight, but I encourage you to read this book and hear his side of the story.
November 26, 2014
I was raised in Indiana and I don't know a Hoosier who doesn't have an opinion about Coach Bob Knight. For years he was synonymous with Indiana University Basketball. Ask me who the coach is now: I don't know. But everyone knew when Bob Knight was there. And when Bob Knight was there, Indiana won a lot of basketball games. I love the game of basketball and I think Bob Knight is one of the top 5 coaches of all time.
In Knight: My Story, Bob Knight talks about growing up in Ohio, about his college days, career choices, going into coaching and coaching the US Olympic basketball team. He is often specific about the rules of the game, coaching techniques, NCAA rules and tournaments, specific games particularly in the Big 10 Conference, and the NIT, as well as his own goals and ideals. Not quite a how to, but I enjoyed learning about some of the things he thinks about in a game. He talks about the players he's coached, their strengths and weaknesses and about his friends in the sports world (and there are hundreds of them). He talks about his love of fishing and hunting and gives us insights about such greats as Ted Williams. He tells about his fundraising, particularly for the IU library, about how important it is for his team members to graduate. He even tells about his divorce, remarriage and details of his being fired by IU after his many year career there. His side of the story is not their side of the story. He admits to having anger management issues.
I don't know where the truth is about Knight's roughness with his players. I condemn any coach's behavior that demeans or physically harms any player. I have no use for anyone who knows about abusive behavior and doesn't call the law or get help for the victim(s). Some of Knight's supposed roughness with his players may be common to athletics in general, and he admits a certain flair for the dramatic. He knows how to reach a crowd. He knows how to be a showman when it suits his purpose or motivates his team.
Coach Knight talks about the IU administration. It's pretty difficult for me not to believe a lot of what Knight is saying. His biggest regret seems to be that he did not leave IU earlier and go to another. He says he stayed too long at IU. If Knight was too rough on his players, or if he treated them poorly, where are the statements by those players? Why would they not speak up once they had an opportunity? And if he had extreme anger management issues, why was he appointed as coach of the US Olympic team? THE one person I would like to hear from is Duke's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewsky Krzyzewsky used too play ball for Knight and he's an amazing coach. Knight refers to a couple of snubs from Krzyzewsky. That seems to be unusual for coach's who have been players for Knight. Does Krzyzewsky have a problem with the way Knight coached when he was in college? Or has a rift arisen between them since then? Or is there nothing of concern there. Maybe Krzyzewsky has written his own book and I just don't know it's out there, but if he does write one, I'll be in line to buy it and I'll look up the names in the index to see if he has anything to say about Knight.
Coach Knight is at the very least, an interesting person with a lot of energy and fierce beliefs. I don't think he could know as much about the players he coached without being pretty deeply involved in their lives. I think he made it his business to be involved. He held his teams to high standards. And he got furious with them when they didn't play the way he wanted them to. He's all about motivation.
One thing that surprised me about this book was that I found it laugh-outloud funny. Knight, as formidable as he is, is also hilarious. His story about throwing his golf club in the tree and then going out to retrieve it was worth the cost of the book.
Coach Knight is not short on ego, nor is he careful about his liberal use of profanity. I liked the book a lot.
In Knight: My Story, Bob Knight talks about growing up in Ohio, about his college days, career choices, going into coaching and coaching the US Olympic basketball team. He is often specific about the rules of the game, coaching techniques, NCAA rules and tournaments, specific games particularly in the Big 10 Conference, and the NIT, as well as his own goals and ideals. Not quite a how to, but I enjoyed learning about some of the things he thinks about in a game. He talks about the players he's coached, their strengths and weaknesses and about his friends in the sports world (and there are hundreds of them). He talks about his love of fishing and hunting and gives us insights about such greats as Ted Williams. He tells about his fundraising, particularly for the IU library, about how important it is for his team members to graduate. He even tells about his divorce, remarriage and details of his being fired by IU after his many year career there. His side of the story is not their side of the story. He admits to having anger management issues.
I don't know where the truth is about Knight's roughness with his players. I condemn any coach's behavior that demeans or physically harms any player. I have no use for anyone who knows about abusive behavior and doesn't call the law or get help for the victim(s). Some of Knight's supposed roughness with his players may be common to athletics in general, and he admits a certain flair for the dramatic. He knows how to reach a crowd. He knows how to be a showman when it suits his purpose or motivates his team.
Coach Knight talks about the IU administration. It's pretty difficult for me not to believe a lot of what Knight is saying. His biggest regret seems to be that he did not leave IU earlier and go to another. He says he stayed too long at IU. If Knight was too rough on his players, or if he treated them poorly, where are the statements by those players? Why would they not speak up once they had an opportunity? And if he had extreme anger management issues, why was he appointed as coach of the US Olympic team? THE one person I would like to hear from is Duke's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewsky Krzyzewsky used too play ball for Knight and he's an amazing coach. Knight refers to a couple of snubs from Krzyzewsky. That seems to be unusual for coach's who have been players for Knight. Does Krzyzewsky have a problem with the way Knight coached when he was in college? Or has a rift arisen between them since then? Or is there nothing of concern there. Maybe Krzyzewsky has written his own book and I just don't know it's out there, but if he does write one, I'll be in line to buy it and I'll look up the names in the index to see if he has anything to say about Knight.
Coach Knight is at the very least, an interesting person with a lot of energy and fierce beliefs. I don't think he could know as much about the players he coached without being pretty deeply involved in their lives. I think he made it his business to be involved. He held his teams to high standards. And he got furious with them when they didn't play the way he wanted them to. He's all about motivation.
One thing that surprised me about this book was that I found it laugh-outloud funny. Knight, as formidable as he is, is also hilarious. His story about throwing his golf club in the tree and then going out to retrieve it was worth the cost of the book.
Coach Knight is not short on ego, nor is he careful about his liberal use of profanity. I liked the book a lot.
January 25, 2015
A tremendous insight into the life and mind of the coach. You could tell he was still bitter about the way IU let him go, and he had some resentment for the people in charge. However valid it might have been, that part of the book left a bitter taste after hearing it. Although he states otherwise, Knight never really believes he is wrong...only that he is misunderstood or that others mistreated him. He consistently referees that he wants things to go back to the way they were...no 3 point line, freshman not eligible, etc. While that is all well and good, he again comes off as resentful of the current state of college basketball.
All that being said, he seems genuinely grateful to those who he was close with and coached. His tirade and explanations of the controversies the AP listed was epic, one of the funniest chapters ive read in any book. In the end, his record as a coach and mentor, as well as the testimonials of those who were close with him, speak for themselves. Knight comes across as a genuine, no-BS, honest leader and coach who is often misunderstood and misrepresented in the media.
All that being said, he seems genuinely grateful to those who he was close with and coached. His tirade and explanations of the controversies the AP listed was epic, one of the funniest chapters ive read in any book. In the end, his record as a coach and mentor, as well as the testimonials of those who were close with him, speak for themselves. Knight comes across as a genuine, no-BS, honest leader and coach who is often misunderstood and misrepresented in the media.
October 17, 2021
Did this autobio about the legendary college basketball coach let him spend many many many more pages on his firing by Indiana University than, for example, his family life, which was scarcely mentioned? Yep. Did he take shots whenever he could at anyone from former Indiana U. President Myles Brand to some random ref he's always hated? Yep. Is it filled with tons of go-nowhere anecdotes like his thoughts on Tommy Lasorda (great guy)? Yep. Does it go into almost game-by-game recaps of some seasons while many others get totally ignored? Yep. Is it still a fascinating read with a lot of great anecdotes (like the time he helped Bill Parsells avoid being busted by the cops for punching a fan) and being a great albeit very self-serving portrait of Knight? Yep.
Am not a big college hoops fan at all. My wife was. She met Knight many many years ago. Idolized him. I had this book sitting on my bookshelf for years. Finally picked it up. Actually ended up enjoying it.
Am not a big college hoops fan at all. My wife was. She met Knight many many years ago. Idolized him. I had this book sitting on my bookshelf for years. Finally picked it up. Actually ended up enjoying it.
April 14, 2008
Bob Knight is an enigma to me; an ostracized and demonized coach whom the media portrays as a backward and archaic man. But how did he win so much? Furthermore, why do so many of his former players pledge their loyalty to him?
This book is all Knight: short anecdotes, rough language, blunt teaching points.
It is very apparent when reading this that although he worked with a polished writer, Knight had final say. Because of this the book lacks any sense of flow and is often hard to read. It's conversational to the point of being disorganized.
The redeeming quality is that Knight loves to teach basketball and loves to have an impact on young men's lives. Beyond this, the impression is that (just as the book was written) Knight knows only one way, and it's his own.
This book is all Knight: short anecdotes, rough language, blunt teaching points.
It is very apparent when reading this that although he worked with a polished writer, Knight had final say. Because of this the book lacks any sense of flow and is often hard to read. It's conversational to the point of being disorganized.
The redeeming quality is that Knight loves to teach basketball and loves to have an impact on young men's lives. Beyond this, the impression is that (just as the book was written) Knight knows only one way, and it's his own.
September 12, 2008
stange as it may seem,i like this coach but dislike this book. i read 200 pages,past my 100 minimum goal,but read no feelings there. the book reads like a basketball manual which i could get as much information from in less the time. it s full of games,wins,loses,tips,plays but few real feelings about real people. it is also a brag book. if coach knight has as many friends as he claims to have, he would have time for nothing else but to talk with friends. i wonder how those friends feel about him ? i guess i have to read the feinstein bio to learn of the real man.
November 25, 2016
This was a very slo-o-ow read because of the rambling style of the narrative. I could have done without all the hunting and fishing stories. However, I did learn about Bob Knight's basketball philosophy which I found extremely interesting and an immense amount about his character as seen from his viewpoint.
October 15, 2022
Horrible book. What a waste of money.
March 7, 2025
One of the most successful and controversial coaches in all of sports.
It was interesting to learn about Knight's background in basketball, growing up in Ohio, playing at Ohio State, coaching at Army, before finally arriving in Indiana, where he had so much success, winning 3 national titles.
While he admits he's made mistakes in life, he takes no responsibility for the greater issues he's well known for - head-butting, choking, striking players.
He has a lot of friends, which he is happy to tell you all about, including their fishing and hunting outings. He seems to use these scenes to justify his behavior. If I'm such a bad, how come these people like hanging out with me so much? This includes former presidents.
An interesting read, but you'll never get to really understand the real Knight.
www.thebrianlennonshow.substack.com
It was interesting to learn about Knight's background in basketball, growing up in Ohio, playing at Ohio State, coaching at Army, before finally arriving in Indiana, where he had so much success, winning 3 national titles.
While he admits he's made mistakes in life, he takes no responsibility for the greater issues he's well known for - head-butting, choking, striking players.
He has a lot of friends, which he is happy to tell you all about, including their fishing and hunting outings. He seems to use these scenes to justify his behavior. If I'm such a bad, how come these people like hanging out with me so much? This includes former presidents.
An interesting read, but you'll never get to really understand the real Knight.
www.thebrianlennonshow.substack.com
October 27, 2024
This is a good read about one of the greatest college basketball coaches ever. He’s my personal favorite college coach and reading his story was very enjoyable. He’s very blunt with no shame, so I know it’s probably true and accurate.
October 24, 2017
He is such a fascinating person, but this book does not do him justice
Want to read
October 3, 2019I like this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2021
A whole lot of stories you don’t care about mixed in with a few that you do.
October 5, 2021
This is good book
This was good book I enjoyed it was great I wanted to play for coach knight thank you coach the best
This was good book I enjoyed it was great I wanted to play for coach knight thank you coach the best
March 19, 2024
throw more chairs.
August 1, 2022
Whether you love him, hate him, or are neutral toward him (I'm in the last category), Bob Knight's book is a fascinating glimpse at his personality, his Indiana basketball teams, and college basketball in general. For Indiana basketball fans (I'm an ACC fan) and college basketball fans in general (a category I fit into), this is a must read. Knight gives a lot of detail about his Indiana teams, especially those that won national championships, and discusses his point of view on the state of college basketball today.
There are really two main topics that run throughout the book - and that is Indiana basketball and the controversies that have surrounded Knight - mostly because of his volatile temper. From a basketball standpoint this is really a great inside look at the college game and the Hoosiers. Knight's detestation of losing and lack of effort are part of what gets him into trouble because he is clearly a disciplinarian and expects a lot from his players and others involved in the program. On the other hand that is also why his teams traditionally have been over achievers. In my opinion, his success in college basketball has been mostly because of his coaching talent and getting his teams to play like a team instead of selfishly.
Even though in some ways Knight claims, and I think in a lot ways rightfully so, that a lot of controversies about his temper and clashes with players, officials, or others is a result of his reputation and are undeserved. Frankly, I do believe him on this account. And he does seem contrite about some incidents that are clearly his own fault where he's lost his temper. Some may argue that he is not apologetic enough or doesn't face his own faults in some of the controversies and I can't disagree with that either. On these issues the reader will have to decide what to believe.
But either way, this is highly readable and very interesting.
There are really two main topics that run throughout the book - and that is Indiana basketball and the controversies that have surrounded Knight - mostly because of his volatile temper. From a basketball standpoint this is really a great inside look at the college game and the Hoosiers. Knight's detestation of losing and lack of effort are part of what gets him into trouble because he is clearly a disciplinarian and expects a lot from his players and others involved in the program. On the other hand that is also why his teams traditionally have been over achievers. In my opinion, his success in college basketball has been mostly because of his coaching talent and getting his teams to play like a team instead of selfishly.
Even though in some ways Knight claims, and I think in a lot ways rightfully so, that a lot of controversies about his temper and clashes with players, officials, or others is a result of his reputation and are undeserved. Frankly, I do believe him on this account. And he does seem contrite about some incidents that are clearly his own fault where he's lost his temper. Some may argue that he is not apologetic enough or doesn't face his own faults in some of the controversies and I can't disagree with that either. On these issues the reader will have to decide what to believe.
But either way, this is highly readable and very interesting.
November 20, 2012
Knight: My Story, is a well written autobiography about infamous basketball coach, Bob Knight. I found many parts of the book to be very interesting, however, I found myself pushing through certain parts of this book as well. When Mr. Knight describes his personal experiences with people whom he was in awe of, it effectively brings him down to the level of me, the reader. That is a very fascinating aspect that this book brings, as I found that despite Mr. Knight's fame and fortune, he is just like us, with many heroes whom he is dying to meet.
In spite of this, many parts of the book are painfully sluggish. Mr. Knight tends to take too long when he describes his basketball seasons. This may not be a detriment to all readers of this book, however, i do not enjoy basketball very much and found myself extremely bored with certain parts. If I were to recommend this book to anyone, it would really only be to those who seriously admire Bob Knight, Indiana University Basketball fans, and basketball enthusiasts. Outside of that target audience, it may not be an interesting read.
March 27, 2015
What a fascinating book and a must read for Indiana basketball fans! The best parts are when Knight talks about the players, his championships, and his coaching strategies.
My only criticism is that he tends to go on tangents about his fishing trips and all the people in the world that he respects. Also, this is clearly a justification book where Knight tries to portray himself in the most flattering light. I don't necessarily see this as a writing flaw because it speaks volumes about the author, but for a less biased look at the coach, I highly recommend John Feinstein's Season on the Brink.
Librarian fun fact: Knight was responsible for several donations to the University library.
My only criticism is that he tends to go on tangents about his fishing trips and all the people in the world that he respects. Also, this is clearly a justification book where Knight tries to portray himself in the most flattering light. I don't necessarily see this as a writing flaw because it speaks volumes about the author, but for a less biased look at the coach, I highly recommend John Feinstein's Season on the Brink.
Librarian fun fact: Knight was responsible for several donations to the University library.
January 4, 2011
I "read" this in grad school in order to write a paper or something. I put "read" in quotation marks, because I did that half reading half skimming for good quotes thing. Knight's accomplishments on the court are superior enough to make him one of the top 5 college coaches ever, top 10 for sure. However, in reading biographies such as this, I always compare them to 'Wooden' and they rarely match up. Also, this book is pretty thick, which means it has a lot of boring filler in it, plus he talks about Sid Hartman.
April 9, 2009
Knight; My story is a good book for people who are interested in sports, coaching or Bobby Knight. It describes his teenage years, into his twenties, and thirties, up to today, all along relating basketball into his life. He talks about how basketball has saved his life numerous times and how he could always rely on it to be in his life. Since I've always like basketball and just recently became a Bobby Knight fan, I enjoyed this book.
Steven Dowden
Steven Dowden
July 16, 2012
There were times when I really enjoyed this book and thought it had much to offer. However, there were pages and pages of acknowledgements that in general did not seem to add much value to the book and made it drag on.
That being said Knights insights on the game are brilliant and it's clear that although he may be a stern coach with some anger management issues he's done a tremendous amount for the game of basketball and IU.
That being said Knights insights on the game are brilliant and it's clear that although he may be a stern coach with some anger management issues he's done a tremendous amount for the game of basketball and IU.
April 28, 2013
Love him or hate him, there is no denying that he has a brilliant mind. He is one of the most interesting and extremely funny men I have ever known. I am proud to be his friend.
His book was fun for me to read, and it certainly shows that he has a multitude of interests outside of just basketball.
Definitely worth reading. The media have labeled him, and he is not someone who can be defined by a few of his actions.
His book was fun for me to read, and it certainly shows that he has a multitude of interests outside of just basketball.
Definitely worth reading. The media have labeled him, and he is not someone who can be defined by a few of his actions.
November 15, 2009
Growing up a Hoosier near Bloomington, Coach Knight had an enormous impact on our culture. Hard work, effort, and discipline were required of every one of us shooting hoops on the side of the barn if we were to play for the cream and crimson one day. This book takes you through his influences and stories along way.
December 21, 2010
Bob Knight doesn't brag to much on himself in this autobiography. He is..and can be...arrogant, but he deserves to be sometimes. Walk a few miles in his shoes to get his perspective on College basketball and his role as a coach. Read this book before Feinstein's A season on the brink--you will have better perspective.
November 13, 2008
This guy gets a bad rap. He is a passionate guy from the old school who isn't perfect but has never pretended to be. It'll give you a new perspective on this man who has been crucified by the media for far too long.
June 23, 2012
A nice autobiography of one of my most favorite coaches in all of sports. Full of passion and grit, just like the real life person. A great read for those wanting to know about one of sports' most controversial figures.
January 7, 2014
I read the book because love him or hate him, Bob Knight is interesting. I loved his coaching motivations, however found it very disappointing that he never could admit he was wrong about any of his transgressions
January 28, 2016
Took me a long long time to finish reading it because near the end I got bored with the "I got fired because the new administration were jerks" talk. It's not that I don't agree with him, it just sounded very repetitive. Otherwise, I took some good stuff from the book.
November 2, 2018
A man who couldn't change with the times. It's hard when the world's passed you by and everything you've believed because laughing fodder. Sorry Bobby, you were a heckuva coach - but I wouldn't let you get near my son. Your ego was TOO BIG!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews