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Remarks of President Myles Brand
Sept. 10, 2000
Thank you for joining us here today. We have completed an investigation into recent allegations involving Indiana University Men's Basketball Coach Bob Knight. I would like to report on the findings of that investigation and other events involving Coach Knight.
On May 15 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 accepted behavior for Coach Knight. For that reason, on May 15 we announced that Coach Knight was being given a series of sanctions and one last chance under a zero-tolerance policy. Let me remind you how we defined the sanctions and the zero-tolerance policy:
And I quote:
"(1) As a result of the review, which found a pattern of inappropriate behavior, the sanctions for Coach Knight are a three-game suspension during the regular 2000-01 season and a $30,000 fine, which will be withheld from his salary.
"(2) 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.
"(3) Public presentations and other occasions during which Coach Knight is a representative of Indiana University will be conducted with 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.
"(4) A task force will be established to develop policies for appropriate behavior for all coaches, Athletics 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, for approval, to the Trustees of Indiana University."
I believe the media here today have received a copy of this May 15 handout.
In recent days it has been reported that our zero-tolerance guidelines are unclear or ill-formed. Nothing can be further from the truth. As I just reiterated, we specified exactly what zero tolerance is at the May 15 press conference. Those are the guidelines which Coach Knight has been required to abide by in the last four months.
The Code of Athletic Conduct Commission is developing a code of conduct for all student-athletes, coaches and administrators on all our campuses. This commission will report its findings to our Board of Trustees this Friday at its regularly scheduled meeting. But do not confuse the two. Since May 15, 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 both a defiant and hostile manner. These actions illustrate a very troubling pattern of inappropriate behavior that makes clear that Coach Knight has no desire, as he personally promised me, to live within the zero-tolerance guidelines we set on May 15. 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 Athletics Department. I personally asked Coach Knight on May 13 to resume the normal chain of command with Athletics Director Clarence Doninger, and he has adamantly refused to do that. This violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15.
* There have been several attempts to embarrass Indiana University. In private and in public, Coach Knight has made angry and inflammatory remarks about university officials and the Board of Trustees. This violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15.
* 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 Varsity 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 that our alumni anticipate each year. This violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15.
* There has been an instant 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 the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15.
* There has been a lack of cooperation in fulfilling the sanctions handed down on May 15. 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 violates the letter and spirit of the guidelines set down on May 15.
* There has been one other 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 that conversation, Coach Knight informed me that 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 15.
* And most recently, we have the well-publicized incident in which Coach Knight had a confrontation with a 19-year-old IU student at the 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 believe they have settled the factual aspects of the case. The coach reached out and initiated physical contact with the student on his arm, and the two had, according to varying accounts, an uncomfortable exchange. It is not in dispute that the coach reached out and grasped the young man's arm in an unwelcome fashion. The severity of that 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 down on May 15.
It is important to note that in the incident involving the IU student, he, unfortunately, became 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 responsibility.
I have been briefed continuously by the IU Police on this matter since Friday. I have also consulted informally on a regular basis 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 also have conferred with the men's basketball players, the IU Athletics Committee through their chairman, key faculty leaders in Bloomington and, of course, Trustee President John Walda, who is traveling abroad and cannot be with us today, but expresses full support for this action.
No one incident above may singularly rises to the level of 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 Bob 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, which was handed out to the media today.
It specifies: "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 on June 30, 2002. Coach Knight is therefore entitled to approximately two years salary and, of course, the university will abide by the terms of his contract.
Let me add some personal thoughts. I have been in higher education now for more than 30 years, as president of two major universities and an administrator and faculty member at several other leading institutions. 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 reputation. He has been a national coaching example not only in wins and losses, in Big Ten and national championships, but also in fielding teams for three decades comprised of outstanding, fine young men. 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 my unwavering support of this basketball team.
That aside, my decision, which came after much consultation and deep thought, is simply in the best long-term interest of Indiana University.
I have asked Vice President Terry Clapacs and Athletics Director Clarence Doninger to lead the effort to find an interim coach for this season. That search begins now. At an appropriate time, a committee will be formed within Indiana University to find the permanent coach.