I’m often asked what I think of coach Bob Knight.

Usually, this happens after someone confuses me with him, which is kind of odd. He is at least an inch taller and has a head full of white hair.

Plus, he wears red shirts and sweaters, which is something I’ve never done. And, I’m always very polite to the press, even though I’m a media critic.

But since you asked, I’ll be blunt:

I like the guy.

He’s a rough-hewn American original and one of the greatest coaches in history. Unlike many other coaches who treat their players as mere mercenaries, he insists on excellence on and off the court. This is why he has one of the highest percentages of players reaching graduation, and why so many of his former players speak highly of him.

I don’t like his profane ways or his lack of self control. Since he is in a leadership role, he could have set the kind of example we’ve seen in stand-up guys like Joe Gibbs, Tony Dungy and Cal Ripken. Gentlemen, but very tough gentlemen.

Let me stop here for a guilty confession. I’m glad Knight threw that chair across the court, because I have gotten a lot of mileage out of chair-throwing jokes. But it was bad. Bad, bad, bad.

And as far as his temper, well, it’s … bad. There’s no sugarcoating it. People ought to be able to visit a salad bar in Lubbock without seeing lettuce flying and celery snapping.

Still, with all of that, he is a great American. Neither the University of Indiana, where he won three national championships and coached for 29 years, nor the U.S. Military Academy, nor Texas Tech, from which he abruptly retired in mid-season yesterday, have been accused of breaking the rules. Knight draws players to his teams because they know they will be playing for a tough taskmaster, a proven winner, and a molder of character. Continued...