Synopses & Reviews
Bob Knight was a head coach in college basketball at twenty-four, coach of an unbeaten NCAA champion at thirty-five, coach of the last amateur team to win the Olympic men's basketball gold medal at forty-three, and out of a job at not quite sixty.
His shock, disappointment and anger over Indiana University's manner of firing a twenty-nine-year employee comes through clearly in his account of his last turbulent year there.
And it is his account. Few people in sports have had more books written about them. This is the first by Bob Knight - one of the most literate, candid, quoted and outspoken men in American public life telling in this first-person account of his full, rich life.
Much of that life has been in basketball, most of it because of basketball, but it also has brought him forward as a coach who has proved academic responsibility and production of championship college athletic teams not only can co-exist but should.
His excitement as things start anew for him at Texas Tech is matched here by his characteristic frankness and remarkable recollection of a life he clearly has enjoyed. You'll see why, as he tells story after story - some delightful, some hilarious, some poignant, none of them dull.
Knight, as a sophomore front-line reserve on the Ohio State team that won the NCAA championship, became the first man to play on and coach a championship team when he led his 1975-76 Indiana team to a 32-0 season that was capped by an 86-68 victory over Michigan in the NCAA championship game at Philadelphia.
His Indiana teams in 1980-81 and 1986-87 also won NCAA titles, making him one of just four coaches in history to win as many as three championships. Twenty-six years later, the 1975-76 Indiana team still stands as the last unbeaten team in major- college men's basketball. Knight's coaching career includes six seasons at Army, where his teams - during the years when the Vietnam War made recruiting for West Point difficult - won 102 games and lost 50. He is one of five coaches who have won seven hundred games, and the only coach whose teams have won championships in the NCAA tournament, the National Invitation Tournament, the Olympic Games and the Pan American Games.
During all that he has been at the heart of more controversies while running a winning and squeaky-clean program than any coach of any sport any time or anywhere.
His excitement as things start anew for him is matched here by his candor and remarkable recollection of a life he clearly has enjoyed. You'll see why, with story after story - some delightful, some hilarious, some poignant, none of them dull: the story of Bob Knight's life.
Review
"[Knight gives his side] with opinionated gusto not often seen in these politically correct times, although in these pages he does not appear to be the Neanderthal he is often said to be. The text is a lively read flavored with scores of anecdotes....Highly recommended for any basketball collection." Library Journal
Review
"Not the definitive, balanced book about Knight that is bound to emerge someday, but one that will intrigue knowledgeable college hoop fans." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The few chapters on [Knight's misbehavior] are best skimmed quickly. Few readers will be swayed by Knight's self-serving defense. Still, there is a fascinating man hiding in these pages....His humor, which can be surprisingly self-deprecating, is generously sprinkled throughout the text....The lines have been drawn in the Knight controversy; no one will change sides on the basis of this book, but both sides will come away with a better understanding of the man behind the often-vitriolic sound bites on SportsCenter." Wes Lukowsky, Booklist
Review
"With Knight's colorful background, it's surprising that the coach has delivered a mostly colorless autobiography. After excruciating detail about his days as a high school and college basketball player, Knight bogs downs his story with dry recitations of the highlights of virtually every team he coached....As an autobiography, Knight's book is disappointing; however, college hoops fans can learn more about the game from this book than from most instructional guides." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Knight gives the reader an inside look at what makes the man tick by using countless stories. Some will inspire awe, others will have the reader bellowing with laughter. Most simply offer a better understanding of the man.
Knight fans will love this book, while his detractors will appreciate his frankness and learn that he truly has a heart. They say there are two sides to every story. In Knight, Bob Knight presents his, well told." Matt Fulks, BookPage
Synopsis
Few people in sports have had more books written about them. This is the first by Bob Knight---one of the most literate, candid, quoted, and outspoken men in American public life telling in this first-person account of his full, rich life. Much of that life has been in basketball, most of it because of basketball, but it also has brought him forward as a coach, who has proved academic responsibility and production of championship college athletic teams not only can coexist but should. His excitement as things start anew for him at Texas Tech is matched here by his characteristic frankness and remarkable recollection of a life he clearly has enjoyed.
His Indiana teams also won NCAA titles in 1980--81 and 1986--87. The 1975--76 Indiana team was the last unbeaten team in college men's basketball. Knight's career includes six seasons as head coach at Army, where his teams won 102 games and lost 50. He is the only coach whose teams won championships in the NCAA tournament, the National Invitation Tournament, the Olympic Games, and the Pan American Games. During all that he has been at the heart of more controversies while running a winning and squeaky-clean program than any coach of any sport anytime or anywhere.
His excitement as things start anew for him is matched here by his candor and remarkable recollection of a life he clearly has enjoyed. You'll see why, with story after story---some delightful, some hilarious, some poignant, none of them dull: the story of Bob Knight's life.
Synopsis
A Season on the Brink—a book about Bob Knight—is the bestselling sports book of all time. Here is the only book that can surpass it—a book about Bob Knight by Bob Knight.In college basketball, the name Bob Knight is synonymous with greatness and winning. Just take a glance at the Knight file. The numbers and achievements that prove what he has done, not only for Indiana University, but for the game itself, are there in black and white. In this riveting memoir, Coach Knight talks about his extraordinary basketball career, addressing both the public triumphs and the highly publicized controversies, often providing his side of the story for the first time.
His story begins with the most public and painful event in his life: his front-page dismissal as Indiana Universitys basketball coach after 29 years in that position. But the story of Bob Knight is so much more than that. Above all, it is a story about one mans tremendous success. How did he become the head coach at Army at the age of 24? How did he build a dynasty at Indiana? What principles has he lived by—and coached by—that kept the best players coming to Indiana to play for him?
Knight:My Story reveals a very personal and until now unseen part of Bob Knights life. His legions of fans will all line up to learn more about him.
Bob Knight has shown time and again that he is the most well-known coach in college basketball:
• He has won over 700 games (618 with Indiana University)
• He has been National Coach of the Year four times
• He coached ten Big Ten MVPs
• He is the only coach who can boast an NCAA Championship, NIT Title, the Pan American Gold, and the Olympic gold medal
• He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991
• He graduated 98% of his players
• He maintains a remarkable .737 winning record
Synopsis
Few people in sports have had more books written about them. This is the first by Bob Knight---one of the most literate, candid, quoted, and outspoken men in American public life telling in this first-person account of his full, rich life. Much of that life has been in basketball, most of it because of basketball, but it also has brought him forward as a coach, who has proved academic responsibility and production of championship college athletic teams not only can coexist but should. His excitement as things start anew for him at Texas Tech is matched here by his characteristic frankness and remarkable recollection of a life he clearly has enjoyed.
His Indiana teams also won NCAA titles in 1980--81 and 1986--87. The 1975--76 Indiana team was the last unbeaten team in college men's basketball. Knight's career includes six seasons as head coach at Army, where his teams won 102 games and lost 50. He is the only coach whose teams won championships in the NCAA tournament, the National Invitation Tournament, the Olympic Games, and the Pan American Games. During all that he has been at the heart of more controversies while running a winning and squeaky-clean program than any coach of any sport anytime or anywhere.
His excitement as things start anew for him is matched here by his candor and remarkable recollection of a life he clearly has enjoyed. You'll see why, with story after story---some delightful, some hilarious, some poignant, none of them dull: the story of Bob Knight's life.
Synopsis
In this pragmatic and inspirational book, legendary firebrand basketball coach Bob Knight, the second-winningest coach in the history of the NCAA, turns conventional thinking on its head and challenges us to use negative thinking instead.
Synopsis
Norman Vincent Peales The Power of Positive Thinking, a classic bestseller, has inspired an optimistic perspective for millions of Americans. Now, in an inspirational and entertaining rebuttal, the legendary basketball coach Bob Knight explains why "negative thinking" will actually produce more positive results, in sports and in daily life. Coach Knight, the second-winningest coach in NCAA history with 902 victories, explains that victory is often attained by the team that makes the fewest mistakes. His coaching philosophy was to instill discipline by "preparing to win" rather than hoping to win. That meant understanding the downside and drilling his teams to prevent the things that could go wrong. And when his teams did win, he made sure they didnt dwell on their success, but rather looked immediately to the challenges of the next game. He applies this lesson to business strategy as well.
About the Author
Bobby Knight has proven over and over again that he is the finest basketball coach in America. No other coach can cite NCAA and NIT championships, and Olympic and Pan American gold medals among his achievements. He is one of only 13 coaches in college basketball history to record 700 or more victories. During Knight's 27-year stint at Indiana, the Hoosiers won an amazing 618 games, including 19 seasons of 20 or more wins, while losing only 220, a remarkable .737 winning percentage. His coaching achievements were honored in May of 1991 when he was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame.
Bob Hammel was sports editor of the Bloomington Herald-Time for 30 years before he retired following the 1996 Olympics. He is the author of nine previous books, six of which were on Indiana basketball. Selected by his peers as Indiana Sportswriter of the Year 17 times, he has been president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Assn., the Football Writers Assn. of America, and the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Assn. He received the National Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Award (1995), the Silver Medal of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (1996), the Jake Ward Award of the College Sports Information Directors Assn. (1996), and the Bert McGrane Award of the Football Writers Assn. of America (1996). He was inducted into the U.S. Basketball Writers Assn. Hall of Fame in 1990, the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Indiana Sportswriters and Broadcasters Assn. Hall of Fame in 1998.