Home / Authors / Bobby Knight

Bobby Knight Quotes

Basketball Coach

Bobby Knight, born on October 25, 1940, is a renowned basketball coach. He has a high reputation in the basketball world and has coached at the University of Kentucky and the University of Texas, leading his teams to multiple NCAA championships.

Filter quotes by topic

All Basketball Sports Coaching Nba Coaches People Thinking Team Games Player Ifs Practice Want Winning Way Important Basketball Coaching Guy Inspirational Knows

Famous Bobby Knight Quotes

“We talk in coaching about "winners" - kids, and I've had a lot of them, who just will not allow themselves or their team to lose. Coaches call that a will to win. I don't. I think that puts the emphasis in the wrong place. Everybody has a will to win. What's far more important is having the will to prepare to win.”

Thinking Important Kids Winning Loses Team Coaches Winner Coaching Emphasis Will To Win

Author:Bobby Knight

“There are as many guys in coaching who do a lousy job as there are in the media. Those are two professions that are a lot alike. There aren't a hell of a lot of really good coaches or writers.”

Two Jobs Guy Hell Media Profession Coaches Coaching Good Coaches

Author:Bobby Knight

“During my 40-year coaching career at West Point, Indiana and Texas Tech, my teams reached the Final Four on five occasions, winning the national championship three times.”

Years Three Winning Careers Five Four Team West Finals Occasions Coaching Texas Championship Three Times Indiana National Championships West Point

Author:Bobby Knight

“And I would be the first to admit that probably, in a lot of press conferences over the time that I have been in coaching, indulging my own sense of humor at press conferences has not been greatly to my benefit.”

Inspirational Firsts Has Beens Would Be My Own Basketball Benefits Presses Coaching Sense Of Humor Teamwork Conferences Press Conferences Good Sense Of Humor

Author:Bobby Knight

“Well, I think it's pretty much established that I just didn't have any interest in coaching in the pros.”

Thinking Wells Sports Interest Coaching

Author:Bobby Knight

“Offense at Indiana is not equal opportunity. Those players who shoot best are going to shoot most. It is important that every player know his offensive limitations. It is also important that a player know who the best shooter is on the team. When a passer has the option of passing to two players, I expect him to get the ball to the best shooter. I continually stop practice and ask players who the best shooter is and I expect them to know. It is important that you get the ball to your best shooter.”

Knows Two Important Asks Opportunity Practice Player Team Equal Basketball Balls Passing Passings Limitation Coaching Offensive Offense Basketball Coaching Indiana Equal Opportunity Shooter

Author:Bobby Knight

“Everyone wants to win, but not everyone is willing to prepare to win.”

Want Winning Willing Basketball Training Preparation Coaching Motivational Sports Basketball Coaching Sports Psychology Encouraging Basketball

Author:Bobby Knight

“As coaches we talk about two things: offense and defense. There is a third phase we neglect, which is more important. It's conversion from offense to defense and defense to offense.”

Two Important Basketball Thirds Defense Coaches Conversion Coaching Two Things Neglect Phases Offense Basketball Coaching Offense And Defense

Author:Bobby Knight

“I think that to stop an offense, you must go to the heart of that offense. If it is a particular move, a screen, the break, an outstanding scorer, whatever it is that they like to do and rely on, you have to work in your plans on taking that completely or as much as possible away from them.”

Ifs Thinking Heart Moving Break Plans Particular Basketball Screens Rely Coaching Offense Outstanding Basketball Coaching

Author:Bobby Knight

“When we're playing a good scoring center, we tell our team that it is not our defensive man's job to stop the center. It's the responsibility of our perimeter people to stop the ball from going inside.”

People Men Jobs Responsibility Team Basketball Balls Coaching Basketball Coaching Perimeter

Author:Bobby Knight

“A great way to test the conditioning of your team is the two-mile run.”

Way Two Running Team Basketball Tests Miles Coaching Conditioning Basketball Coaching

Author:Bobby Knight

“Practice structure determines success.”

Practice Basketball Structure Determine Coaching Basketball Coaching

Author:Bobby Knight

“To be as good as it can be, a team has to buy into what you as the coach are doing. They have to feel you're a part of them and they're a part of you.”

Feels Sports Team Coaches Coaching

Author:Bobby Knight

“A coach should never be afraid to ask questions of anyone he could learn from.”

Should Asks Coaches Coaching

Author:Bobby Knight

“I've never felt my job was to win basketball games - rather, that the essence of my job as a coach was to do everything I could to give my players the background necessary to succeed in life.”

Giving Jobs Games Winning Felt Player Succeed Basketball Essence Coaches Backgrounds Coaching Basketball Game

Author:Bobby Knight

“The single most important aspect of coaching is running effective practices”

Important Running Practice Basketball Aspect Coaching Nba

Author:Bobby Knight

“When I first started coaching, one of the worst things that I think I heard was 'It will be O.K.' I would wonder, 'How the hell is it going to be O.K.?' The worst word in the English language is 'hope.'”

Thinking Firsts Language Wonder Hell Heard Worst Coaching Worst Things English Language

Author:Bobby Knight

“We've gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that's why I'm glad I'm not coaching. You see we've got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he's still coaching. I really don't understand that.”

Stills Two School Situation Integrity Coaches Glad Coaching Lacking Kentucky Probation

Author:Bobby Knight

About the Author

Born: October 25, 1940
Known for: Basketball Coach
Quotes: 119

Books & Sources

The Power of Negative Thinking: An Unconventional Approach to Achieving Positive ResultsRelated source material

Similar Authors

Don MeyerBrowse related quotes
Shaquille O'NealBrowse related quotes
Oscar RobertsonBrowse related quotes
Red AuerbachBrowse related quotes
Dennis RodmanBrowse related quotes
Allen IversonBrowse related quotes
Bob CousyBrowse related quotes
Mike KrzyzewskiBrowse related quotes
Al McGuireBrowse related quotes
Jack RamsayBrowse related quotes