Written from a press release:
Bloomington, Indiana – November 2, 2023
Indiana University Athletics is set to pay tribute to Hall of Fame head men’s basketball coach Bob Knight in the coming days and throughout the 2023-24 year. The iconic coach, who guided IU to three NCAA titles and 11 Big Ten championships during his tenure from 1971 to 2000, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 83.
To commemorate Coach Knight’s enduring legacy, both the IU Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams will sport special ‘RMK’ patches on their home and away uniforms throughout the 2023-24 season. The first appearance of these patches will be in the upcoming exhibition game, with head coach Mike Woodson’s team donning them on Friday night as they face Marian University (Ind.). The IU Women’s Basketball squad, led by head coach Teri Moren, will unveil their patches in their regular season opener against Eastern Illinois on November 9 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. In a show of unity, head coach Tom Allen’s IU Football team will also honor Coach Knight by displaying ‘RMK’ decals on their helmets for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Additionally, IU Athletics will request that fans join in observing moments of silence before the Men’s Basketball game against Marian on Friday night and on Saturday ahead of the IU Football game against Wisconsin.
During Friday night’s game against Marian, selected quotes from former players, coaches, managers, staff members, and other sports luminaries will be featured on the video board at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall during pre-game and in-game timeouts.
Respecting the wishes of the Knight family for privacy, IU Athletics and Indiana University have not planned any public memorials.
Coach Knight was appointed as IU’s head coach in 1971 at the age of 30 after a successful six-year stint at Army. Over the next 29 seasons, he compiled an impressive 662-239 overall record in Bloomington, with a remarkable 353-151 record in the Big Ten. In addition to the three NCAA titles and 11 Big Ten Championships, his teams made Final Four appearances in 1973 and 1993. Coach Knight wrapped up his illustrious 42-year coaching career in 2008 as the game’s all-time winningest coach, boasting a 902-371 record and currently ranking sixth on the all-time wins list.
