Indiana University Basketball Coach Bob Knight Fired
ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with the controversy surrounding Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight, who, as of today, is unemployed. School officials fired coach Knight today, ending his remarkable 29-year career at Indiana University. The school launched an investigation Friday into allegations that Knight abused a student. Knight, under a "no tolerance" policy after a 1997 incident, has denied the accusations. The president of Indiana University, Myles Brand, has scheduled a news conference today for, at about 4:15 Eastern time. And, of course, CNN will bring that to you live when it happens. But right now, let's take you to CNN's Jeff Flock. He is joining us by telephone on his way to Indiana -- Jeff.</s>JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Andria, CNN has learned today that Indiana coach Bob Knight, as early as -- as recently as this morning had offered to apologize for the incident last week, in which a 19-year-old student said that he cursed at him and grabbed him by the arm and abused him in some way. Through an intermediary, the coach apparently offering an apology. Bob Knight now out of the country, two sources telling me that he is in Canada right now. Offering to make the apology, but apparently not enough. The university deciding to go forward with the discipline that they had promised back in May if Knight had any inappropriate physical contact with a member of the university.</s>HALL: Jeff Flock, of course, on the way to the -- on the way to Indiana, so, of course, we've lost signal with him on his cell phone. We'll try to get him back for you later on -- Gene.</s>GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: A university spokesman says today's news conference will focus on the investigation and the allegation that sparked it. A 19-year-old freshman, Kent Harvey, says Knight grabbed him and berated him last week at the Bloomington campus when he addressed the coach by his last name. Knight says those accusations are "absolutely, totally untrue." He says Harvey is the stepson of a very vocal critic, a former radio talk show host, Mark Shaw.</s>BOB KNIGHT, INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL COACH: As I try to slide through the door kind of sideways, as does this kid, to get through the door. Right about even with the door, this kid looks at me and says, "Hi, Knight." And as he's moving I put my hand on the inside of his elbow and I looked at him and I said, "Son, my name isn't Knight for you. It's coach Knight or it's Mr. Knight. I don't call people by their last names and neither should you." And I took a couple of steps, he took a step or so, and he said, "Well I'm sorry, I" -- whatever. And I said, "Just remember, when you're talking to elders, what I've said." And with that, he stuck his hand forward, I don't know whether to shake hands or what, and mumbled something and eventually -- "Good-bye Knight." And I just kept on walking. And I said to myself, "I don't think I reached him." With that -- so that is what happened. And that's entirely what happened and any deviation from that is absolutely inaccurate.</s>KENT HARVEY, INDIANA UNIVERSITY FRESHMAN: I don't usually see celebrities every day, and I was kind of, like, a little nervous talking to him anyways and, like, he kind of gave me this weird look and, like, he grabbed my arm and he kind of, like, got in my face and just said a couple comments, like, pretty -- I don't know, it was pretty wild. He kind of got in my face and he kind of blew up and the -- I mean he wasn't yelling at me, but he wasn't happy at all, he was very upset. And, just because I called him by his last name, I suppose. He wanted me to call him coach or Mr. Knight or whatever, I don't know. I wasn't really -- I couldn't really -- I wasn't listening very well because I was so nervous and I was so shocked at what was happening.</s>RANDALL: Knight's temper and behavior have long been seen as image problems for Indiana University. Let's go back now to Jeff Flock, our phone connection is back up. Jeff, you're in Indiana, I know.</s>FLOCK: Yes, Gene. Also at that press conference, I can tell you that several members of the Indiana University basketball team will be there in attendance as well. And we believe that, at the conclusion of the university's press conference, they will have a press conference of their own. Several players had indicated earlier that if Bob Knight were to be</s>RANDALL: Jeff Flock reporting to us live on the phone from Indiana A long-time friend of Bob Knight is newspaper columnist Billy Reed, of the "Lexington Herald," in Kentucky. And he is on the phone. How long have you been friends, Mr. Reed? Billy Reed are you there? Well, I guess not -- Andria.</s>HALL: Thank you Gene. We'll try -- thank you Gene, we'll try to get that for you later. You know what breaking news is like. Knight's behavior came under the media spotlight last spring when CNN/"Sports Illustrated" reported on a former player's charge that Knight choked him during a 1997 practice. Mike Galanos, of CNN/"Sports Illustrated" joins me now for more on that and on today's developments. Mike, before we get to the report, I noticed in Jeff Flock's beeper just now, he says that his sources tell him that Bobby Knight is in Canada ready to apologize, but if he's denying the allegations, if he's denying the charges, what's there to apologize for?</s>MIKE GALANOS, CNN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CORRESPONDENT: Well, you figure, again, it was a "no tolerance" -- a "zero tolerance" policy. And coach Knight was already talking about that, that they had painted him into a corner. And how was he going to act under this? And you knew that people were going to bait him. He's a stepson of a very vocal, former radio host, very vocal critic of coach Knight and, you know, he baited him. You don't think that toilet paper was going to be streamed from basketball rafters throughout the season? Everybody trying to get at coach Knight to get him to step over that line; and here it happens before the season, by a 19-year-old student. Coach Knight needed to really reign himself in, and even if he grabbed the young man by his arm, who is coach Knight to be giving manners...</s>HALL: Etiquette lessons.</s>GALANOS: Etiquette lessons, thank you.</s>HALL: Now, your report, "Sports Illustrated," broke the story about the 1997 incident. What was it surrounding that that caused the internal investigation by Indiana U.?</s>GALANOS: Well, all of a sudden you look at the Indiana basketball program and here's Indiana basketball: They're not winning like they once were. And players who seem to be made for Indiana basketball were leaving the university. Here's the video of coach Knight grabbing the throat of Neil Reed and, pretty much, that's what precipitated our investigation. Some say we were on a witch hunt -- we were not. It was a story that begged to be told. We told the story and found out some things that really were shocking and needed to be found out.</s>HALL: What can you tell us about Bob Knight's background, about his personality, that makes him more of a liability than an asset? I mean, this one of the most successful college basketball coaches in the country.</s>GALANOS: Yes; here's a guy, he's 116 wins away from Dean Smith for all-time victories. 3 national titles, numerous awards and players, Isaiah Thomas, to name a few, that have been great Big 10 players and went on to have great NBA careers. But you start looking at his behavior. He throws a chair across a basketball court. A scuffle with Puerto Rico police. He kicked his son Pat Knight; and also, then, the Neil Reed incident. So all of a sudden, coach Knight is now not painting the university in a very good light. And that's what he was told: If you, basically, degrade us one more time you're out, and it looks like that's what's happened.</s>HALL: But there's a difference when you're winning, and the tolerance for that, than when you're losing.</s>GALANOS: Indeed. And they weren't winning like they used to. Yes, they get the 20 wins, but they're getting bounced out of the tournament in the first or second round; so all of a sudden, what's going wrong with coach Knight? And if you're a player out there -- I talked to some players, some young players who played for a coach that yelled. And immediately the correlation came that, the guy thinks he's Bob Knight. So all of a sudden, young players out there, do you really want to go to play for Indiana? Probably not if you're going to have to be abused, and you hear all this. There are so many other universities out there, so many coaches now who are more player coaches, and not the yeller type. The old Lombardi-type coach, that yelled and ruled by intimidation. It doesn't seem to work as much anymore. And when you don't win as much, people are less tolerant of that kind of behavior.</s>HALL: So you're pretty much categorizing Bob Knight in a box of old -- of days gone by?</s>GALANOS: He's an old-school coach.</s>HALL: He's an old-school coach.</s>GALANOS: Definitely.</s>HALL: Which may attribute to him winning the way he did...</s>GALANOS: Yes, great coach, as you alluded to. All the wins. But at some point, when you don't win as much and people start pointing the --getting you under that microscope a little bit more -- what's going wrong here? Maybe you need to change your ways; and it looks like he hadn't.</s>HALL: So it becomes a quality of life issue for these players, all of them very talented if they're going to Indiana University to play for them in the first place. Let me read you a quote from CNN wires by Bob Knight. He says: "I would have to be an absolute moron, an absolute moron, with the things that have been laid down on me, to grab a kid in public and curse at a kid, in public, as apparently it's been said that I did; and this is absolutely, totally untrue." Now he wants to apologize.</s>GALANOS: You make a very good point. You wonder. I mean, we all wish we were there to see who's embellishing on the story and what the real truth is. You have the students saying he's cursed at coach Knight; and you've got to think that he would be, have to be an absolute moron. As I stated before, people are going to -- were going to bait him. Now that the bait has been taken and coach Knight's on his way out, but -- it's almost shocking that he would take it so early and by someone so young.</s>HALL: But let's also look at the circumstances surrounding this particular young man. His stepfather has been an outspoken critic of coach Bob Knight; is it completely fair to think that we have all the facts and that we know all the details without assuming that there may have been an ax to grind?</s>GALANOS: You make a good point. I mean, "Hey Knight, what's up." That is not the most respectful way -- I wouldn't, you know -- when I was 19 I wouldn't talk to somebody that age like that. But then again, if you're Bob Knight, you got to known that kind of thing is coming. And here's a guy who -- a young man, his stepfather a vocal critic of coach Knight. He threw the bait out there. And maybe he wasn't -- maybe that's just a young guy, and that's the way talks to people -- his elders. I don't know.</s>HALL: There's a sports writer for "Lexington Harold" who's a very close friend of Bob Knight's, reportedly. Billy Reed, you know, we tried to get that interview. He predicts, to you folks, to CNN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, that coach Knight is going to be back at work for another team as soon as next season. What's your take on that?</s>GALANOS: I don't think so. I think that, you look at a guy like Jerry Tarkanian who, at UNLV, was under a lot of scrutiny there. He finally got another chance at Fresno State. Maybe there's at program out there that would give coach Knight another shot. I don't think so. I think, if you're a university, you're better served to give someone else a shot. Bob Knight comes, now, with a lot of baggage. A lot of wins, three national championships, but now the baggage. And you wonder, how many kids, again, are going to come and want to play for coach Bob Knight at a university?.</s>HALL: Tell us about the story that "Sports Illustrated" broke four months ago regarding this '97 incident.</s>GALANOS: Well, one of our producers, Robert Abbott -- here's a guy who, some have said, even coach Knight himself said that Robert Abbott had an ax to grind against him. Robert Abbott went to Florida State. You know, it wasn't like he went to Michigan and had this ax to grind against Indiana basketball. It was, again, a situation where you have Indiana basketball and a story that needed to be looked into. Why are kids leaving this program -- kids that, again, seem to be made for Indiana basketball? So Robert Abbott spent nearly a year inside, talking to people, and he had a chance to talk with Neil Reed and others who did not paint coach Knight in a very good light. Now other players, Alan Henderson, Isaiah Thomas -- some big name NBA players, and Isaiah had a great career -- they defend coach Knight. And coach Knight seems like the kind of guy, you hear the stories that, hey, some players he went after. He was going to be a little more verbally abusive toward them -- they were his doormat, in a sense. And tough, hard-nosed, yelling coaches like that, they're going to go after certain players because, maybe they think they can take it, or this is the guy I can pick on. Maybe another player can't take it. So, all of a sudden, maybe coach Knight couldn't read that anymore, who really could and who couldn't take it. And maybe he needed to back off and change with the times a little bit.</s>HALL: And just, very quickly, what do you suppose Bob Knight is feeling right now.</s>GALANOS: I -- if you're Bob -- you don't know what he's thinking. But if I had to guess, it's got to be one of shock. Such a wonderful career on the basketball court; 29 years. You're so close to Dean Smith to becoming the all-time winningest coach and it's, really -- in a year's time it all just comes unraveling on you. He's got to be just, in almost depression I would imagine.</s>HALL: As they say, life is what happens when you're making other plans. Mike Galanos from "Sports Illustrated," thanks for that insight. And we're going to get you to the news conference as soon as we possibly can, but right now let's take you to Gene Randall in Washington.</s>RANDALL: And, Andria, you mentioned Billy Reed of "The Lexington Herald" in Kentucky. He is a long-time friend of Bob Knight. Mr. Reed are you there?</s>BILLY REED, "THE LEXINGTON HERALD": I sure am. How are you?</s>RANDALL: Fine. How long have you been friends with the coach?</s>REED: I'd say 25 to 30 years. I covered him soon after he took the job at Army in the 1960s.</s>RANDALL: Have you spoken to Bob Knight since all of this broke?</s>REED: Yes, I spoke with him Friday night for about 10 minutes and he told me that he thought this was just the most unfair thing he's seen; and, you know, I told him, I said, you know, Bob, you just have to walk away. I don't care what anybody says, what happens. You just have to walk away. And he told me, he said, well Billy, I've got to live my life, I can't live my life in a vacuum. And I think that was going to be the real problem that was going to face him this year, is how do you live a normal life when you're Bob Knight under these kind of circumstances?</s>RANDALL: Did he foresee this day's turn of events at all?</s>REED: I don't think so at all, and I don't believe the so-called conspiracy theories. I think it's a really bizarre, you know, coincidence that this particular kid would be the one. But, no, I just don't think he foresaw this at all.</s>RANDALL: Did he indicate to you that there was any element of truth in the charges this 19-year-old student made?</s>REED: No. He felt like it was just totally blown out of proportion, and, you know, what I told him, I said, well, but you could face that over and over and over again. You've just got to, no matter what anybody says to you, you've just got to just walk away.</s>RANDALL: Was there any kind of fatalism in coach Knight's attitude, in that many people felt this was simply something waiting to happen? If not now, a year from now, or six months from now.</s>REED: I think a lot of people felt that, but I tell you, I was one of the so-called "Silly Seven" or "Sympathetic Seven" who met with him at a press conference last Spring, and knowing Bob as well I do, I really had the sense that he had taken this on as a challenge. That he was going to prove to people that he could deal with this; and I felt, on his behalf, I felt pretty good about that.</s>RANDALL: And what do you think coach Knight will be remembered for most -- his coaching or this?</s>REED: Well, that's a good question. I've likened him -- I've likened the situation earlier to president Clinton. I mean, I think you're talking about two individuals who are brilliant in many ways, and gifted and talented, and yet each one had kind of a fatal flaw. And with President Clinton, I think we know what that was, and with coach Knight I think it was his temper. And, unfortunately, I think each probably could have had a much greater legacy had it not been for these fatal flaws.</s>RANDALL: And Mr. Reed, in your heart of hearts are you surprised at the way things turns out?</s>REED: I'm not surprised, but I hope it's good, both for Indiana, the university and I hope it's good for Bob Knight. I think he's going to coach again and I think the whole atmosphere up there has gotten just, kind of, poisonous; and this might just be a good thing for both parties.</s>RANDALL: Billy Reed of "The Lexington Herald," thanks very much, thanks for being with us -- Andria.</s>HALL: Thank you Gene. We want to get more perspective, now, from CNN/SI's Mike Galanos. Can you tell us -- we just heard from Billy Reed -- he said that his friend is shocked. Do you think he should have been shocked?</s>GALANOS: Yes, in the sense, with the way it way down. A 19-year-old kid walking past him on campus, in September. We're not even in the midst of the basketball season. You know, it's -- I think if you had to write a script it would have been, maybe, at Michigan, and some wild wolverine fan would have gotten in his face. I think that's what we expected more than someone in his own backyard. But people in Indiana, there were those that were against him, as this all wound down.</s>HALL: We're going to take you to Indiana right now, where there is a live news conference underway, just about to start, regarding the firing of coach Bobby Knight.</s>CHRISTOPHER SIMSPON: Good afternoon. My name is Christopher Simpson. I'm the vice president of public affairs and government relations for Indiana University. On my immediate left is Indiana University President Myles Brand. On the far left is Vice President of the Board of Trustees Frederick Eichhorn. President Brand will have a statement, Mr. Eichhorn will then follow with a statement, and we'll open it to your questions. President Brand?</s>MYLES BRAND, PRESIDENT, INDIANA UNIVERSITY: Thank you all for coming today. We've completed an investigation into the recent allegations involving Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight, and I'd like to report on the findings of that investigation and other events involving coach Knight. On May 15th of this year I announced to you findings of a seven- week investigation into three allegations raised by a former student athlete. At that time we made clear what is acceptable behavior for coach Knight. For that reason, on May 15th we announced that coach Knight was being given a series of sanctions and one last chance under zero-tolerance policy. Let me remind you how we define the sanctions and how we define the zero-tolerance policy. And I quote: "As a result of that review, which found a pattern of inappropriate behavior the sanctions for coach Knight are a three-game suspension during the regular 2000-2001 season and a $30,000-dollar fine, which will be withheld from his salary. "Two: Any verifiable, inappropriate physical contact discovered in the future with players, members of the university community or others in connection with his employment at IU will be cause for immediate termination. "Three: Public presentations and other occasions during which coach Knight is a representative of Indiana University will be conducted with the appropriate decorum and civility. Included among these occasions are interactions with the news media. Failure to do so will be cause for further sanction, up to and including termination from the position of basketball coach. "Four: A task force will be established to develop policies for appropriate behavior for all coaches, athletic department employees and student athletes, and for sanctions for not following these policies. The task force will make its recommendations on these policies to the athletics committee, the president and the board of trustees." I believe the media here today have copies of this handout. In recent days, it has been reported that our zero-tolerance guidelines are unclear or ill-formed. Nothing could be further from the truth. As I just reiterated, we specified exactly what zero tolerance is at the May 15th press conference. Those guidelines, which coach Knight has been required to abide by for these last four months. The Code of Athletic Conduct Commission is developing a code of conduct for all student athletes, coaches and administrators on all of our campuses. This commission will report its findings to our university board of trustees at its regularly scheduled meeting. But do not confuse the two. Since May 15th, our zero-tolerance guidelines have been in effect, and they are what I just quoted to you. Unfortunately, there have been many instances in the last 17 weeks in which coach Knight has behaved and acted in a way that is both defiant and hostile. These actions illustrate a very troubling pattern of inappropriate behavior that makes it clear that coach Knight has no desire, contrary to what he personally promised me, to live within the zero-tolerance guidelines that we set out on May 15th. We have given Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight one last chance, and he has failed to take full advantage of that opportunity. Let me give you some examples of coach Knight's behavior in the last 17 weeks that is uncivil, defiant and unacceptable. There was a continued unwillingness by coach Knight to work within the normal chain of command in the IU athletic department. I personally asked coach Knight on May 13th to resume the normal chain of command with Athletics Director Clarence Donager, and he's adamantly refused to do that. This violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15th. There have been several attempts to embarrass Indiana University. In private and public, coach Knight has made angry and inflammatory remarks about the university officials and he board of trustees. This violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set out on May 15th. There have been several instances in which coach Knight has shown disrespect for our university alumni. Specifically, the coach has informed the university that he now refuses to participate in previously scheduled Variety Club events in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Chicago. While the coach has informed the university that he will attend four public events as required in his contract he has refused to attend the most popular and widely attended events of our alumni -- that our alumni anticipate each year. This violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15th. There has been an incident in the recent past in which coach Knight verbally abused a high-ranking female university official in the presence of other persons. This angry outburst in his office was completely unnecessary and inappropriate. This violates, again, the letter and the spirit of the guidelines set don on May 15th There's been a lack of cooperation in fulfilling the sanctions handed down on May 15th. It is important to note that the coach has agreed to fulfill these obligations, but he has forced the university to go through a protracted, unpleasant and completely unnecessary process to reach that end. This again violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15th. There's been one another instance of gross insubordination. I had a telephone conversation with coach Knight at 10:30 p.m. Friday to discuss the allegations raised in the current situation. At the conclusion of the conversation, coach Knight informed me he was leaving Saturday morning to go on a fishing trip in Canada. Due to the seriousness of the investigation, I requested, more than once, that he postpone his trip and stay in Bloomington. He adamantly refused. This violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15th. And most recently, we have a well-publicized incident in which coach Knight had a confrontation with a 19-year-old IU student in front of Assembly Hall. The IU police are investigating this matter and have completed their preliminary findings. They have talked to seven people and have two more persons with whom to talk, but we believe they have settled the factual aspects of the case. The coach reached out and initiated physical contact with student on his arm, and the two had, according to varied accounts, an uncomfortable exchange. It is not in dispute that the coach reached out and grabbed the young man's arm in an unwelcome fashion. The severity of the act is in dispute, however. But the bottom line is that an angry confrontation with a student explicitly violates the spirit and letter of the guidelines set out May 15th. It's important to note that the incident involving the IU student, in which he unfortunately become an unwilling part of a very public story. While the stepfather of the young man has aggressively sought media coverage of the event -- and that is unfortunate -- we are committed to ensuring that every IU student has the right to a safe, productive and enlightening educational experience at Indiana University. This young man is no exception, and I hope that we all will respect his privacy and understand that this young man has been caught up in events well beyond his own responsibility. I have been briefed continuously by the IU police on this matter since Friday. I have also consulted informally on a regular base throughout the weekend with our trustees. No vote of our trustees has been taken, but a large majority share my view on our response to this pattern of unacceptable behavior. I've also conferred with the men's basketball players, the IU athletics committee through their chairman, key faculty leaders, and of course our trustees president, John Waulder (ph), who is traveling abroad and cannot be with us today but expresses full support for this action. No one incident of the ones I've named may singly rise to the level of the removal of coach Knight, but this persistent and troubling pattern of behavior has led me to only one conclusion. In an early morning telephone conversation with coach Knight today, I gave him the option of resigning as head basketball coach. He declined, and I notified him that he was being removed as basketball coach, effective immediately. This is an option the university can exercise under paragraph nine of coach Knight's contract, and I believe that was handed out to you, as well. It specifies, and I quote, "If the university at any time desires, coach shall cease to serve as head basketball coach when so advised in writing." A certified letter will be sent to him tomorrow. In exercising this option, the university is obligated to continue to pay coach Knight his salary through the end of his contract, which expires June 30, 2002. Coach Knight is, therefore, entitled to approximately two year's salary, and of course the university will abide by all the terms of the contract. Let me add some personal thoughts now. I have been in higher education for over 30 years. I've been the president of two major universities, an administration, a faculty member at several others. Unquestionably, this is the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. Bob Knight is a legendary coach at a school with a legendary basketball reputation. He's been national coaching example, not only in wins and losses and Big 10 and national championships, but also fielding teams for three decades that comprise outstanding, fine young men. His program has been devoid of major NCAA violations, and his graduation rates are among the highest in the country. These young men who have had the honor to play under coach Knight are representative of the best of IU. This includes, of course, the outstanding team we have now. I met with these young men late yesterday, and I pledged to them, and renew that pledge, to give my unwavering support to our basketball program. But that aside, my decision, which came after consultation and deep thought, is in the best long-run interest of Indiana University. I've asked Vice President Terry Klaypacks (ph), Athletic Director Clarence Donager, to lead the effort to find an interim coach for this season. That search begins now, and in an appropriate time a committee will be formed within Indiana University to find a permanent coach. Thank you.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Eichorn?</s>FREDERICK EICHORN, TRUSTEE, INDIANA UNIVERSITY: Thank you. A large majority of the board of trustees fully supports this decision. We regret that the coach's actions have resulted in this conclusion, but this is the best answer for the university at this time. I have great respect for what coach Knight has accomplished, but his attitude towards his peers and university officials is intolerable. Indiana University is much more than its basketball program, and it is the overall interest of the university that motivates this conclusion. It is time to move forward with the essential business of the university. Thank you.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Questions? Yes, sir?</s>QUESTION: Zero tolerance policy, why did you allow</s>BRAND: No one event rose to the occasion of breaking the policy. The problem is, i that we have a continued pattern of unacceptable behavior similar to the pattern we had prior to May 15, expect it had gotten worse. But no one event had risen to that occasion, and we were moving in that direction until the accumulation was sufficient?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.</s>QUESTION: President Brand, if Thursday had never happened, would we be here today?</s>BRAND: Maybe not today, but my guess would be shortly. I think that was one more example. It was not the precipitating cause. If that were the only instance that took place, you would not been here today. It was the unacceptable pattern of behavior, so we would have been here, in my estimation, a short period of time.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right in the middle please.</s>QUESTION: What was coach Knight's reaction to this?</s>BRAND: Coach Knight told me that he wanted to continue to coach at Indiana University. We had our conversation. It was a civil conversation. He understood the points, and I told him that we will remove him from being IU's basketball coach.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right on the right.</s>QUESTION: Is there anything else that the investigators are handling on Bob Knight?</s>BRAND: No.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ed, straight back.</s>QUESTION: President Brand, in retrospect does it seem like a whole lot of work went into the zero tolerance policy, and with us all assembled here today, in retrospect does it seem like it was a mistake at that time to continue down this path?</s>BRAND: No, in fact I'm reinforced that we did the right thing. That was the ethical and moral thing to do. Coach Knight has contributed almost 30 years to this university and has been successful in many ways. I believed then and I continue to believe that we had to give him one last chance. Some people believe I overreached with that and disagree and think that May 15th should have been the end. I believed then and I believe now that it was the moral act. The fact is that having given coach Knight one last opportunity, he failed to take advantage of it. It was his decision.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the right over here, please.</s>QUESTION: President Brand, any indication from the current staff members as to their status, assistant coaches?</s>BRAND: I don't believe any conversations have taken place, and I refer that to our athletic director.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over here on the left please.</s>QUESTION: Same question.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, then let's go over to Don please.</s>QUESTION: President Brand, I've covered Bob for almost 35 years, and what I always enjoyed about covering him was that he was always the same, When did his misconduct become intolerable?</s>BRAND: Leading up to last May 15th, the university was slow to react to a number of instances. The Neil Reed instance precipitated an in-depth investigation in which we found a continuing pattern of unacceptable behavior. We took action then and gave him fair notice. His unacceptable behavior not only continued since then but has increased.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right in the middle.</s>QUESTION: President Band, you said that no one incident led to this termination. Did you notify coach Knight as you knew this was going on that these were approaching a level of critical mass?</s>BRAND: Yes. He had been notified through intermediaries time and time again.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir, over here on the left.</s>QUESTION: President Band, the team obviously was very much in support of their coach. How do you feel having to take that next step towards the team</s>BRAND: The decision has been made. These are fine young men. In addition to being excellent basketball players, they're the pride of Indiana University, and we hope that they will continue with us, and we expect that they will continue with us. And we will find an interim coach that can lead them on to victory.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Terry?</s>QUESTION: President Band, in your meeting with the players last night, they had the impression that you had already made up your decision. Had you made up your mind at that point, or did you make it after that?</s>BRAND: At that point, I was getting the evidence from the IU Police Department. I think the facts of the matter are clear, even if not every interview had taken place. With my conversation with Bob Knight this morning, we reached the point that we should go forward now.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right here.</s>EICHORN: Well there's been no trustee vote taken, but by sampling and conversation. we are aware of the attitudes of the various trustees. And by that, we conclude that there is a large majority of the board that supports the decision.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.</s>QUESTION: What will the search for Knight's replacement be in?</s>BRAND: I will ask the athletic director to undertake that question, and perhaps afterwards, but we have not begun the search as of this time. This is the announcement, the beginning.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right in the front please?</s>QUESTION: Dr. Brand, in terms of the contract obligations the university has towards Knight, will the university fulfill that all at once and pay the lump sum or will that be disbursed?</s>BRAND: That hasn't been decided yet or talked about with the coach, and there are some options that we'll need to talk with him about.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am, right here, please.</s>QUESTION: President Brand, what is the dollar figure</s>BRAND: Coach Knight's annual salary is approximately $170,000.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.</s>QUESTION: President Band, are you personally stunned, shocked baffled why someone of this Mr. Knight's ability just doesn't seem to get the point?</s>BRAND: I'm very saddened by it. It's been -- I admire coach Knight's accomplishments, and I am very saddened by it. And I had hoped by making it as clear as I possibly could in May that this is unacceptable and it has to change, and then given his direct, face-to- face assurances that he would change, I'm very saddened that he did not take advantage of that opportunity. I believe we did everything in our power to make it possible for him to alter his behavior.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over here, please.</s>QUESTION: President Band, when we were here in May, you said you had talked in a long conversation wit the coach, and saw a side of Knight that you hadn't seen before and he was real, real concerned. Has that Knight gone away and is not the same one you're</s>BRAND: I did see that side of coach Knight, but apparently it has gone away, to use your words, after our meeting. I don't know exactly when, but he did not fulfill the promises that he gave me during that meeting.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike? Mike?</s>QUESTION: President Band, how much did you and the players last night talk, and how did their point of view did you take into account as far as your decision?</s>BRAND: The players are important to us, and they are -- they were taken into account. In the end, the single most important element was the future of Indiana University, and we need to move on from here and we need to go forward. And that was the overriding consideration.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right in the front, please.</s>QUESTION: The most recent incident, did you find him, when you questioned him about it, to be forthright and honest in reporting the facts, or did you find that he lied</s>BRAND: Are you talking about his press conference?</s>QUESTION: Thursday.</s>BRAND: I had a very short conversation Friday night with coach Knight about the most recent incidents of grabbing. I asked coach Knight -- I had seen the press conference. I was not aware there was going to be a press conference. He didn't consult with me or anyone. He held the press conference. On the phone, I asked him, is there anything you want to add to the press conference. And he said there's one or two more people that need to be consulted, interviewed. And that was it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.</s>QUESTION: President Band, John Taylor (ph) channel 13. You say you'll be supportive of the basketball program now, but obviously with recruiting going on and the season close to beginning, it puts the basketball program in a very difficult situation. Have you given thought to who the interim coach is going to be to get out of the rough spot here?</s>BRAND: No, I have not, and I will turn that assignment over to our athletic director, Clarence Donager, to work with Vice President Terry Klaypacks. And we will try and move expeditiously on that.</s>QUESTION: Can you tell us who the candidates are?</s>BRAND: There are no candidates. This is the announcement that we're beginning.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.</s>QUESTION: President Brand...</s>HALL: You've been listening to a news conference with Indiana University campus President Myles Brand talking about the firing of basketball coach Bob Knight. He's given several examples that he says Bob Knight has failed to live within the guidelines of the May 15th restrictions that they set forth for him, saying that he's been uncivil, defiant and unacceptable in his behavior, no willingness to work within the chain of command at Indiana University, attempts to embarrass, he says, the university officials there, and disrespect for the university alumni. Under the terms and conditions of Bob Knight's contract, his firing is effective immediately, and the university will honor the term in his contract that says they will pay him the next two years of his salary, approximately $170,000 a year, and that contract expires June 30, 2002.