Indiana Coach Knight Is Out

By Stephen M. Silverman

Wednesday July 29, 1998 12:00 AM EDT

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Tempers continue to simmer today in the wake of Sunday's firing of Indian University Hoosiers basketball coach Bobby Knight, 59. While the campus is divided over school president Myles Brand's decision to terminate Knight's 29-year career at the school, the fiery Knight thanked students for their support during a protest rally held during the night. What triggered the firing -- Brand told reporters that he also gave Knight the opportunity to resign, which the coach refused -- was an incident last week in which Knight allegedly grabbed 19-year-old freshman Kent Harvey by the arm, whirled him around and cursed him for failing to show respect. (Harvey allegedly said, "Hey, wassup, Knight?") Brand said that Knight, who is as famous for his volatile off-court behavior as he is for his team's accomplishments, had been under a "zero-tolerance" school policy that prohibited "inappropriate" physical contact with students. NBC News reported this morning that Harvey has received death threats from Hoosiers fans and is under school protection.