Take Five: The General

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005 | 7:05 a.m.

Too much is made of appearance. Way too many people focus on the outside, or style, and not what goes on inside a person, what he or she stands for, or substance.

That was the gist of Sports Illustrated writer Frank DeFord's 1980 piece on Bobby Knight, who brings his Texas Tech team, his fiery demeanor and a legendary past into the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday night to play UNLV.

"What do we call it?" Knight told DeFord. "Countenance. A lot of my problem is just that too many people don't go beyond countenances ... I just don't have the personality that connotes humor. It kills me."

The Sun contacted five of Knight's coaching rivals, both past and present and some just as legendary as he is, to discuss the man and what he stands for.

Bob Knight Bio

JOHN WOODEN

When Knight talks about the game's greatest coaches and major influences, Pete Newell, Clair Bee and Hank Iba are always quickly mentioned. Never Wooden, who won 10 national championships at UCLA.

"I've had others tell me the same thing," Wooden said. "That doesn't bother me at all. Maybe that's his honest opinion? That's OK."

Wooden, 95, said he has always been a fan of Knight's and that the two Midwestern natives have corresponded some since Knight took over at Texas Tech.

"He's a great coach," Wooden said. "I don't believe there's been anyone who knows the game any better. I've said it to him; his methods are a little different. Gen. Patton's methods were different, but I sure wanted him on my side.

"He's had a lot of negative press, but you forget most of the good things. Most of his players graduate, and that's the main reason for being in coaching."

JERRY TARKANIAN

In 1990, Tarkanian had a speaking engagement in a tiny town in Indiana when he called Knight beforehand. "Could I come and see you a few days early, Bobby, and talk some basketball?" Tark said.

Hoosiers assistant coach Tates Locke picked Tarkanian up at the airport, drove him to Bloomington, drove him to his appointment two days later and then took Tarkanian back to the airport.

"He's a man's man, no bull (bleep) about him," Tarkanian said. "I like that. He tells you exactly what he believes, and there aren't too many like him. There's not a phony bone in his body."

Knight and Indiana defeated Tarkanian and the Rebels, 97-93, in a 1987 national semifinal game in New Orleans.

"That's when I realized he's the best offensive coach in the country," Tarkanian said of Knight, who wrote the introduction to Tark's new book. "Everyone raves about his defense. We were a great defensive team. Hell, they got 97 points on us.

"I don't like plays or coaches who run plays. His (offense) is all concept, screens and reading which way the defense is playing and going the opposite way. It's tough to teach that. A lot of people try to copy Bobby's offense, but they don't know how to teach it."

PETE NEWELL

Newell, 90, has been living in San Diego for a few years, but he will not be making the trip to Las Vegas to see Knight. He hopes to travel to Lubbock, Texas, in three weeks to visit with Knight and watch his team.

Knight has no bigger fan.

"Texas Tech totally agrees with him," said Newell, who spoke with Knight last week. "He's done wonders there. And the people have been very, very hospitable and friendly and supportive of the program.

"When he was out a year, he had a chance to view his future and the importance of basketball in his life. He looks at a job much differently than these coaches who hop from team to team. Building a program is a lot more important to him."

LON KRUGER

The second-year Rebels boss first met Knight when Kruger was an assistant coach under Kansas State coach Jack Hartman. When Kruger took over at Illinois, he went head to head with Knight.

"We had a lot of good battles," Kruger said. "He's always been gracious and he's always had very good teams. He makes you prepare in so many different ways."

Kruger said getting Texas Tech to play UNLV in Las Vegas was mostly the work of ESPN officials.

"He brings a standard of play, with his defensive fundamentals and offensive principles, that everyone looks to in measuring their own teams," Kruger said. "When you're a standard-setter, that's pretty good."

BILL FRIEDER

The former Michigan and Arizona State coach had considered himself a friend of Knight's until a fateful day when the two exchanged words on the sideline of a Hoosiers-Wolverines game.

When a zero-tolerance policy proved to be the catalyst that ended Knight's career at Indiana, Frieder did not have much sympathy for Knight.

On Sept. 7, 2000, Knight was accused of grabbing Kent Harvey, an IU student, by the arm and cursing at him after Harvey yelled, "Hey, what's up, Knight?" at the coach in a line for football tickets. Knight was fired three days later.

"If I'm on zero tolerance, I don't put my hands on anybody," Frieder said. "I was very concerned when they said they would have zero tolerance because I knew he would be subjected to a lot of media scrutiny and hecklers during the season.

"But I never thought anything would happen before the season."

Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at miech@lasvegassun.com.