Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, February 29, 2008

ESPN hires ex-coach Bobby Knight

Associated Press

 BRISTOL, Conn. -- College basketball fans flipping channels back when Bob Knight was coaching couldn't resist stopping when they spied one of his interviews or news conferences. Nobody wanted to miss what he might say or do.

ESPN executives figure nothing will change with the Hall of Famer switching careers. The network announced Thursday that Knight will appear as a guest studio analyst leading up to and during the NCAA tournament.

"The information, the entertainment, the sophistication, the knowledge he brings about basketball and issues surrounding basketball -- add that to how compelling an individual he is, and it made perfect sense for us to put him on our platforms," said Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive vice president for production.

Even before Knight resigned from Texas Tech on Feb. 4, ESPN officials were intrigued by the possibility of someday hiring him, Williamson said. The winningest coach in Division I men's college basketball with 902 victories, Knight captured three national championships at Indiana.

He's just as well known for his fiery temper, which got him in trouble on and off the court. Knight blew up at many reporters over the years, including in a couple of ESPN interviews. Now he's a member of the media himself.

"I think ESPN has been real good for college basketball and I look forward to working with some of their people who I have known a long time," Knight said in a statement.

Williamson said Knight's relationships with ESPN commentators such as Dick Vitale and Digger Phelps helped make him comfortable with the idea of joining the network. This isn't just a few token appearances; Knight will work a packed schedule for ESPN. He's the type of person who wouldn't do it any other way, Williamson said.

Knight is scheduled to begin his new job March 12 during the conference tournaments. He'll provide commentary on Selection Sunday and through the early rounds of the NCAAs, then travel to San Antonio to offer analysis during the Final Four.

Notes

AUBURN: Tigers forward Korvotney Barber will remain sidelined for the rest of the season with a broken hand, coach Jeff Lebo said Thursday.

Barber hasn't played since breaking his left hand 3 minutes into the Dec. 29 game against Towson. He was leading the nation in shooting, hitting 72 percent from the floor.

Barber was also averaging team-highs with 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds through 10 games. Auburn is expected to apply for a medical redshirt, though the outing against Towson put Barber one game over the NCAA limit for granting one.

"Vot was having an outstanding season, leading the nation in field goal percentage as well as having the best season of his career," Lebo said. "His injury was very unfortunate. We expect Vot to make a full recovery from surgery but just not before this season is complete."

TENNESSEE: The mother of Duke Crews is pretty sure Tennessee basketball saved his life.

Crews seemed healthy until a heart echocardiogram he received as part of health screenings administered to all Tennessee athletes raised concern about his heart.

"If they hadn't done it, no one would have ever known he had it," said his mom, Louise Poindexter. "There's a possibility they did save his life."

Health officials administered the echocardiograms to search for evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition blamed for the sudden death of more than a hundred athletes each year.

Tennessee is one of just a few colleges that routinely perform echocardiograms on all athletes. A Vols fan last year volunteered to provide the screenings for free.

The expense of such a test -- between $500 and $1,500 for each athlete -- is why some schools don't offer it to all athletes, said Dr. Douglas Zipes, past president of the American College of Cardiology and distinguished professor of medicine at Indiana University.

Cardiologists and other heart experts argue the screenings could help save the lives of the approximately 125 U.S. athletes under age 35 who die each year of sudden cardiac death. Most show no symptoms of heart disease until it turns fatal.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA