Monday, March 3, 2008
Pat Knight isn’t his father. He’s not Bob Knight, one of the most successful and controversial coaches in college basketball history. Pat Knight’s father coached for 42 years and won more than 900 games. Pat is a 37-year-old, first-time head coach, who is only seven games into his coaching career.
Pat Knight’s father wouldn’t be caught dead in a bar. After his first game at Texas Tech, Pat Knight took his whole staff out for beers.
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Pat will take his father’s seat on the bench tonight at Allen Fieldhouse. He’s two days removed from the biggest victory of his young coaching career — an 83-80 upset victory against Texas in Lubbock, Texas.
Nope, Pat Knight isn’t his father. But when Pat Knight took over for his father on Feb. 5, after Bob Knight resigned on Feb. 5, people couldn’t help but compare father and son.
Oklahoma State coach Sean Sutton knows what it’s like to take over for your dad. He replaced his father, Eddie, at Oklahoma State during the 2005-2006 season. So when the phone rang, and Pat Knight was on the other line, Sean Sutton offered some helpful advice.
“I just talked to him a lot about, ‘you got to be yourself, you can’t worry about the comparisons people are going to make between you and your dad,’” Sutton recalled saying to Knight. “‘You got to be Pat Knight. There’s only one Bob Knight. You got to understand that.’”
Pat will take his father’s seat on the bench tonight at Allen Fieldhouse. He’s two days removed from the biggest victory of his young coaching career — an 83-80 upset victory against Texas in Lubbock, Texas.
He didn’t always plan to take over for his dad, Knight says.
But when Knight moved to Lubbock seven years ago to join his dad’s coaching staff, the town, the people, it all felt too comfortable.
“I loved the University, and I think we can really keep building on something special here,” Knight said. “That’s what changed my mind,”
Knight and Sutton aren’t the only sons who have taken over a program from their dad. In fact, it’s happening quite regularly. Tony Bennett replaced his father, Dick, at Washington State. Keno Davis replaced his father, Tom, at Drake. Both Bennett and Davis have their teams in the Top 25 polls this season.
Knight said he knew there would be critics. People screamed nepotism — that Knight was only there because of his dad. Knight didn’t worry about those people.
“I thought, ‘Why should I worry about what people think,’” Knight said.
Knight said he talked regularly with Sutton. Sometimes he asks him questions about succeeding his father. Other times, they just talk basketball.
“I kid Sean, I tell him he’s my Yoda, and I’m his Luke Skywalker,” Knight said. “He’s my Jedi-master to get all the information.”
He also still talks with his father.
“He’s around,” Knight said. “He’s always going to be a sounding board for myself.”
Knight is 4-3 in seven games this season. The Red Raiders are young, small and gritty.
Knight said he could have taken a different rout. He could have gone to a smaller school, become a head coach and worked his way up the coaching ladder. That rout would have been safer, but he said he was ready for this challenge.
“How many guys at 37 would love to be a Big 12 coach?” Knight asked. “I just don’t think I would have been able to live with myself if I would have taken a different rout.”
— Edited by Katherine Loeck
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