Indiana University will honor basketball coaching legend Bob Knight with a bronze statue at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The statue will join sculptures commemorating the 1976 National Championship team in the hall’s south lobby. Knight, who coached the Hoosiers from 1971 to 2000, won three NCAA titles, an NIT championship, and 11 Big Ten titles. He finished his IU tenure with a 662-239 record, and his 902 career wins rank sixth in college basketball history.
According to FOX59 reports, Knight, who died in 2023, left a lasting impact on IU and the sport of basketball. IU Athletics Director Scott Dolson, who served as a student manager under Knight, said the coach’s influence on the university and Hoosier fans ran deep. Dolson also credited Knight for teaching him the importance of preparation and discipline.
The statue will be placed inside Assembly Hall, which opened in 1971 — the same year Knight became IU’s head coach. IU Athletics said the project is being funded by an anonymous longtime IU men’s basketball supporter, and the unveiling timeline will be announced in the coming months. Sculptor Brian Hanlon of Hanlon Studios has been selected to create the statue, according to reports from WTHR and 21AliveNews.
The announcement also came as IU marked the 50th anniversary of the 1976 undefeated national championship team. Dolson said Knight didn’t just win games — he “changed how the sport is played.” According to WTHR, the statue is meant to serve as a lasting tribute that ties Knight’s legacy to the program’s historic achievements.
