COLLEGE basketball has not known a notorious “character” for a head coach more than this feisty and combative figure with a volcanic temper and a sarcastic smile that can be charming at times.
When angry at a referee’s call, all he does is scratch his head and smilingly spews profane words that even his mother might take offense. He also does the same thing to his players if they commit blunders on the floor and do not follow his game instructions.
Often, to send a message to his erring players, he points his index finger to his head as if to remind them that they need to use their “brains” for one-upmanship.
A major mistake by his player can result in a more serious punishment like having his jersey pulled down to his waist accompanied by a Tarzan-like bark from the coach.
Yet, from the standpoint of a professor-to-student relationship, which college hoops coaching is really all about, this ill-mannered behavior by the aforementioned bench tactician is generally tolerated, if not acceptable.
That is if he gets the job done – meaning, championships are won. Legendary coach Bob Knight, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is one example.
Nicknamed “The General” for his “militaristic” disciplinarian ways, Knight was generally feared but well-respected by his players at the University of Indiana, where he steered the Hoosiers to three National Collegiate Athletic Association titles (1976, 1981 and 1987).
He also steered the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team, which included an NBA-bound star out of the University of North Carolina by the name of Michael Jordan, to the gold medal in the Los Angeles Games.
Despite his accomplishments, Knight also was a magnet for controversy and criticism during his distinguished career because of his boorish behavior and violent temper.
In February 1985, Knight got mad at the referees after successive fouls were called against Indiana just five minutes into a Big Ten Conference game versus visiting Purdue.
In frustration and anger, he threw a chair across the floor while an opposing player was about to take his free throws.
Once, Knight also held tightly his player’s jersey close to his (coach’s) chest while berating him during a timeout for failing to follow instructions.
In another occasion, Knight grabbed a Hoosier by the neck in a choking manner during a 1997 practice. That being said, this volatile local coach in the collegiate basketball scene also found success in a hurry.
In his inaugural campaign during the mid-2000s in one of the country’s premier collegiate leagues, this coach immediately earned a title with his school in one of the greatest finals upset in league annals.
Although he has yet to win another crown, he has stayed on with the same school in the current competitions. He continues to enjoy the confidence of school officials, even after nearly quitting his post to take a similar position in the professional circuit.
Nonetheless, his manner of recruiting players for his alma mater has drawn flak from some quarters. Scuttlebutt has it that this coach demands one whole “lechon de leche” from the parents of a player prospect as a form of offering if a prospect desires to be considered for his team.
A dowry in collegiate basketball recruiting – it exists clandestinely, of course. This is not to say that money does not change hands as well under such a situation.
A year ago, a pair of topnotch players from a Chinese-Filipino high school league earned roster berths on this coach’s team to the country’s second-oldest university/college league after some “love offerings” by their rich manager.
The rookie duo appeared contented even if both hardly played for the team throughout the season. This coach loves to recruit players with Chinese lineage on the belief that they all come from affluent families and therefore are vulnerable to monetary “offerings” in return for roster spots (whether it be the 15th and final berth) or playing minutes.
The coach took one step further over the summer. Reportedly, he was building a new house and needed instant cash badly. He sought financial help from the manager of the two aforementioned players to settle at least the downpayment on his new abode.
When the manager refused to give in to the coach’s demand, his two players were swiftly dismissed from the team this season.
If these stories are all true, then collegiate basketball has a problem.
College basketball is not all clean and lily-white as many would like to believe. In its ranks also are some rotten eggs.
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