VIDEO: Pat Knight Has Epic Tantrum About Lamar

Lamar’s Pat Knight Has Epic Meltdown

When it comes to Lamar’s Pat Knight, the apple sure doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The son of former Indiana head coach and legendary hot head Bobby Knight had one of the biggest coaching meltdowns you will ever see on Wednesday night after a 62-52 loss to Stephen F. Austin.

The rant started when senior guard Mike James was responding to a reporter’s question at the podium and Knight cut him off by saying, “Alright I’m next, you don’t have a clue to what it takes to win.”

James left the stage while Knight worked himself into a lather by blasting the entire team except one player and calling out the team’s seniors in particular.

Choice quotes included:

• “I’m unhappy with these seniors, that’s what I’m unhappy with, it has nothing to do with X’s and O’s. We’ve got the worst group of seniors that I’ve ever been associated with.”

• “We’ve had problems with these guys off the court, on the court, classroom, drugs, I mean, being late for stuff, all that stuff correlates together if you’re going to win games.”

• “I feel sorry for this school. I mean these kids are stealing money by being on scholarship with their approach to things.”

• “The main problem is we don’t have a leader. We have six seniors but not one of them is a leader. We’ve got a bunch of followers.”

• “We’ve got a bunch of tin men out there, they have no heart… We can’t play for them, that’s the sad thing.”

• “Usually you have one or two guys that are a problem. We have an infestation of guys that are hard to coach.”

• “When I played, if you acted like some of these guys did, you got shoved in a locker with a forearm against your neck and told, ‘You don’t do that. That’s not how we do things here at Indiana.’ And that’s what we need.”

• “And I don’t think they get it. If you act this way in the real world, you’re gonna be homeless, without a job.”

First of all, the marathon tantrum seemed especially unnecessary considering Lamar is actually 17-11 this season after going 13-17 last year. But apparently the third loss in four games was too much for Knight, who was fired last spring after coaching at Texas Tech for three-plus seasons.

Second of all, Senior Night at Lamar sure looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun!

We realize things like this get said behind closed doors all the time but to embarrass your own player while he’s speaking to the media, rip the whole team without taking blame yourself and suggesting that they get shoved in a locker is all unacceptable behavior and should result in an immediate apology.

After all, if Knight is upset that his team doesn’t have a leader, what kind of example is he setting for his team with this childish behavior?

7:44 PM on 2/23/2012

Sweelips

Didn’t see anything inappropriate here. This is just a game of basketball. Most of these kids will never earn a dime playing the game. But you see the same sense of entitlement and coddling everywhere, not just in sports.

Can’t wait to see all the outrage over Coach Knight’s comments. All the enablers of this generation of ill-prepared, spooled brats. And, as in basketball, we’ll all close ranks around these kids and then working people will pay near 4 figures to watch the next generation of Iversons and JRSmiths run what was once a beautiful game.
- Me
  
  Excellent comments Sweelips. I could not agree more with what you said.
- rain
  
  I totally agree
- Michael Kelly
  
  What a sorry excuse for a coach. Guess the acorn doesn’t fall far from the Oak tree. Get rid of this creep of a coach. Or tell me why anyone would play for an egomaniac like this. Blame your players, not your coaching. How sad and sickening. A very sad reminder of how many nut jobs are coaching college sports. His Dad was one of the icons of “this game is all about me”. Of course they don’t play the game, don’t have the talent or the resolve. So they bitch when things don’t go their way.
Need a better leader…

“Attitude reflects leadership, captain.” – Remember the Titans
CW

I totally agree with Coach Knight, while he could have been a little more diplomatic, but at least he is telling the truth about how he feels. This team has a lot of talent, not a lot of heart. Call ‘em out and see how they respond! He inherited this team, let’s see how he does with his own recruits.
LAMARGRAD

Just hope Knight can get this team back to what they were in the late 70′s and 80′s- in the NCAA Tourney every year, even reaching the Sweet 16 in ’81. I like his candor, and only recruits with the right attitude will play for him, that is a good thing. Tired of seeing 18-19 year old kids acting like the world owes them.
TFRCSR

Does the idiot that wrote this piece know what a rant or meltdown is ????
Does the writer is he/she know enough to know?.
So Knight should crawl under a rock and hide from reality.
Does truth conform to reality?? Leadership is action, not position.
So he has balls and his dad is maybe the most successful coach in history.
Knight talked for 5 minutes and the writer never paid attention to the point of the exercise.
and never got confused with facts.
Do you think this writer should be allowed to breed???
There’s been very little outrage over this, i.e. you’ve read other websites.
- joebabe
  
  I agree,,Why did he say the things he did about his team??Because I am sure it is 100% accurate..Kids today,,they are bad…I thought the writer of this article should be fired…Coach Knight is trying to be a leader, but you can’t lead thugs.
Coach Knight was right on the mark!

Who can take issue with a single word Coach Knight said? He didn’t launch into a profanity laced tirade like his father would have done so often. He simply told it like it is. You can clearly see the man cares – about the program, about the game of basketball – and most importantly, about the very kids he was so sharply criticizing. He wasn’t being derogatory – rather, trying to hold the young men in his charge accountable for what he sees as an improper approach to the game – and from a bigger picture perspective, he’s trying to teach some harsh life lessons here. He’s right on. And to criticize him and to say of the players – “ohh poor babies…” the coach was spot on — these kids don’t need to be babied and coddled – they need to be kicked in the pants and have some common sense seep in. I tip my hat for the coach for having the guts to not sugar-coat things – and at the same time, to do so in a respectable and respectful manner – respectful (even in his criticism) toward his team, toward the reporters at the post-game conference – and for not resorting to the kind of belligerence his father often resorted to. Well spoken!!
Artie

This guy and his father both need to pipe down. He’s complaining about the lack of leadership – show some nuts and be a leader yourself. What an idiot. Fire him…
- Anonymous
  
  So Artie, you would fire a coach for speaking his mind and telling reporters that his team lacks heart and if they don’t grow up they will fail in life?
  That is exactly what he has been telling them behind closed doors without any results, so he call them out publicly. I say “way to go!”…………….what would you say “hope he didn’t hurt their feelings, fire him!” All we need is more people like you enabling these people. Coaches are teachers, too and he is trying to teach them.
  - David
    
    If you consider the fact that he was fired after three awful years at Texas Tech (also the only reason he got that job was because of his daddy), then maybe he is the problem? I don’t mind a coach yelling at players if he thinks they have been disappointing but Pat Knight doesn’t have any track record to show that HE knows what it takes to win….
- Anonymous
  
  Well said.
Big Joe

He sounds like an idiot, just like his father. I predict he will soon start hitting his players, just like his father. He uses his bluster to Hide his own lack of coaching skills.
Done Coming

What a standup guy! College athletes are young people who owe mostly truth to themselves to work hard and get the best education possible, and if they are scholarship athletes they owe a debt of commitment to their school. Thee is no place for comments such as these in a public forum. Good thing for Pat I am not a Lamar parent or educator, what a disgrace! Pat Knight and all who profiteer, pee, sleep, dream to the tune of big business fake amateur Division 1 athletics make me want to puke. Really, why are they even talking to reporters? What time is study hall?
Not Guilty

Accountability is a bad word nowadays. We need more coaches like Pat Knight to teach kids the right way to do things. He didn’t curse or throw chairs. He spoke from the heart and told the truth. Sometimes the truth is a slap in the face. I’m sure his seniors are taking a long look in the mirror.
- David
  
  My only problem with this train of thought is what evidence has Pat Knight ever given that he KNOWS the right way to do things….lost big at Texas Tech and the only reason he got that job was his last name….if this kind of statement came from a coach who has proven he knows how to win, I’m fine with it….with this guy, it looks kind of like passing the blame off to the players to avoid some of it falling on him.
Doug C

“Has nothing to do with the Xs and Os” – translation – “It’s not the coach’s (my) fault”.

Seems far better to handle more diplomatically – he basically called them a bunch of bad human beings and made it personal . . . Looks like he just threw away the season to try to send a message for next season? Is that smart? Time will tell.
Keri

Thank you Coach Knight! We have the same problem at our high school with the basketball senior players. Problem is this kind of attitude spreads to the kids on the Freshman and JV teams. I think Coach Knight hit the nail on the head regarding attitude, drug use and lack of caring. We need to face it that we have spoiled our kids and our society as a whole will suffer if we don’t do something about it.
Thomas

Meltdown? Over the Top? How about “The Truth”?

Obviously the author cant handle the truth.
Jerry

Fact is, he blames it on the players and they aren’t his and he has 8 guys coming in next year.
What a bunch of BS> He was at Texas Tech 4 years, and Billie Gillespie is playing with his recruits
this year and is 0- 14 in the Big Twelve. You don’t see Gillespie making those comments.

Fact is Winners are Winners, and losers get fired, just like Pat has the last 4 jobs he had.
i guess Texas Tech Fired him for winning……
Coach Pain

I like this! Too many times coaches get thrown under the bus for stupid student athletes – hold them accountable!!!
Anonymous

Bobby just threw everyone under the bus. Oh that wasn’t Bobby? Looks like dads forearm shiver into the locker knocked something loose. If you are not happy with the players cut em.
Cromag

Pat’s comments were over the top for a public forum. I don’t care what he says behind closed door, but I think his lack of leadership has been transferred to his players. Maybe a more diplomatic way would have been for him to express that he had failed to teach or instill a work ethnic. If he isn’t willing to take part of the blame, why should he expect his players to show leadership when he’s not capable of doing so. These kids need leadership, he’s an adult and has failed to lead by example.
Jim

Quit using “epic”…even when it’s deserved, which it certainly isn’t here. Knight didn’t even raise his voice, just candidly expressed what he thinks the problems are, and he’s probably right.
Burger

Threw his players under the bus then got in the bus and drove it over them a few times for good measure.
Respect

That A-hole should be fired immediately.
1. Can’t control or discipline his own team (by his own admission) If these kids are so bad cut them!
2. Everything he said there should be said in the locker room and not to the microphones. What a jerk.
Self serving comments to cover his own butt! Takes no accountability for the obvious failures he sees in HIS players. YOU picked them but now everything ids their fault.
3. Great educator…lesson is taught very well. Rip every one underneath you, accept no responsibility.
Love to see how these guys will play for him now.
HusslinHoosier

I was in the minority of Hoosiers who was actually sick of Bobby’s antics but this was nothing of the sort. Pat was calling out some guys who need it, no cursing, no personal attacks this is just how to respond to a bunch of divas. I’m no Pat fan but this was completely appropriate.
jack sprat

Interesting article in light of Lamar’s win in the conference championship game and Knight’s post-game comments. The characterization of Pat’s behavior as “childish” only demonstrates the sad state of so much of American manhood today. This country was built on the approach to child-rearing used by Knights pere et fils. It’ll soon wither away on the approach and with the attitudes apparently favored by the writer.

Lamar’s Pat Knight Has Epic Meltdown

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