Bob Knight, the legendary Indiana Hoosiers basketball coach, has died at the age of 83

Bobby Knight, the Indiana University basketball coach who led the Hoosiers to three NCAA championships, has died at age 83, his family said.

The Hall of Fame coach died Wednesday surrounded by his family at his home in Bloomington, Indiana, his family said in a statement. The cause of death was not provided.

“We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored, and we will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and tomorrow,” his family said. Forever a loving husband, father, coach and friend.”

Knight has been called a “legend among coaches” before Basketball Hall of FameWhere he was recruited in 1991.

He played for the Ohio State Buckeyes when the team captured the NCAA championship in 1960, and coached the Indiana Hoosiers from 1971 to 2000 — when the team won three NCAA titles.

He also coached Knight on the world stage. In 1984, he captained the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team when it won the gold medal at the Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Knight was the Big Ten Coach of the Year five times and National Coach of the Year four times.

“He changed basketball in this state, the way you compete, the way you win,” Steve Alford, captain of the Knights’ last national championship team in 1987, once said. “It started in Indiana, but it really changed college basketball. You look at the motion offense and people are using it everywhere.”

Knight was born Robert Knight in Massillon, Ohio, on October 25, 1940, but was known as Bob or Bobby.

He is one of only three coaches to win the “Triple Crown” of an NCAA title, an NIT title and an Olympic gold medal, the Hall of Famer said.

Knight, nicknamed “The General,” had the power that was on display on the field. In 1985, Knight threw a chair on the court and was ejected during a game against Purdue.

He was suspended for one game, was on probation for two years by the Big Ten, and Indiana chained chairs for both benches together after the incident.

Knight was eventually expelled by Indiana State in 2000 for violating then-Indiana University President Miles Brand’s zero-tolerance policy by grabbing a 19-year-old student by the arm to lecture him about ethics.

In 1979, Knight was accused of assaulting a police officer in Puerto Rico, during a USA Basketball team practice session for the Pan American Games after an argument over the use of a gymnasium. UPI reported on time.

The agency reported that he left the island before the trial, and officials in Indiana rejected his extradition requests on misdemeanor charges, and Knight later apologized.

Upon his enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame, after an introduction by friend and fellow Hall of Famer Pete Newell, Knight appeared to joke about the incident.

“Pete, if people in Puerto Rico asked me to come over there and do a clinic, would you tell them I’m restricted,” Knight said with a laugh.

After Indiana, Knight coached at Texas Tech, from 2001 to 2008. He also coached at Army from 1965 to 1971, before Indiana State.

Knight retired و From Texas Tech in February 2008 and was replaced by his son Pat Knight.

Knight’s family has asked that in lieu of flowers memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Marian University in Indianapolis, but donations to any charity in his name are also appreciated, the family said.

Indiana basketball on social media described Knight as one of the most successful and influential figures in the history of college basketball.

“By unparalleled achievement, Coach Knight’s brilliance ensures that he will forever remain among the giants of college basketball,” Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said. He said in a statement.

Governor of Indiana Eric Holcomb described Knight as “a towering basketball personality and an unparalleled fighter.”

The awards and recognition that come with training are all about one person, Knight said.

“I have never felt comfortable with Coach of the Year, or any coach for that matter,” Knight said in his Hall of Fame induction speech. “I think there is a more appropriate label that could be used: Team of the Year.”

“For a team to develop to the point where a coach is being recognized for what this team did is an indication that the players, the assistant coaches and everyone involved gave a great effort,” Knight said. “This is truly an honor for the team.”