IU Athletics announces plans to build statue to honor Bob Knight

IU Athletics has announced plans to build a statue to honor Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight.

Here’s the full release from Monday evening:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — IU Athletics is proud to announce plans for the commission and installation of a permanent bronze statue of the late IU Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Bob Knight.

The statue will be displayed prominently alongside the 1976 National Championship statues in the south lobby of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, a facility that opened in Knight’s first year in Bloomington in 1971. Following his arrival, Knight transformed the IU Basketball program over the next 29 years into a perennial national powerhouse and established Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as one of the most revered venues in all of college sports.

Under Knight’s guidance from 1971–2000, IU secured three NCAA National Championships (1976, 1981, and 1987), an NIT title in 1979, and 11 Big Ten Conference regular-season titles. Most notably, he led the 1975–76 squad to a perfect 32-0 season—a feat that remains the sport’s gold standard as the last undefeated championship in men’s Division I basketball.

Knight, who passed away in 2023, compiled a 662–239 record at Indiana, and his 902 career coaching victories rank sixth in college basketball history. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential figures in the history of the sport, Knight is a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, the National College Basketball Hall of Fame, and the IU Athletics Hall of Fame.

“Coach Knight’s influence on the game of basketball is immeasurable, but his impact on this university and Hoosier basketball fans is even deeper,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. “On a personal level, having started my career here as a student manager under Coach Knight, I saw firsthand the unparalleled standard of excellence he demanded. He taught me, and countless others, that success is the result of meticulous preparation and unwavering discipline. This statue will be a well-deserved tribute to a man who didn’t just win games; he changed how the sport is played.”

Brian Hanlon of Hanlon Studios will design and fabricate the statue, and further details regarding the project timeline will be released in the coming months. The project is being fully-funded by a long-time IU Men’s Basketball supporter who wishes to remain anonymous.

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