Bob Knight back on campus in Indiana

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Former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight at the Indiana baseball game today. (Photo: Jim Coyle, Indiana Sports Beat)

For at least the first time in public since being fired in 2000, legendary Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight is back on the Indiana campus.

Knight, 78, is at the baseball game in Indiana with his long time friend and former sports writer Bob Hammel. Knight spoke in Indianapolis this week and has been visiting the Indy and Bloomington areas for several days.

Knight led IU to national titles in 1976, 1981 and 1987, among a host of achievements that have made him one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, at all levels. His 1976 national title remains the last undefeated team in major college basketball.

Knight's relationship with IU since being fired has been controversial at best – including well-publicized public comment. But IU continued to reach out and let him know that he was always welcome, and the friendship between Knight and Hammel has always remained strong.

"Coach Knight has expressed interest in today 's game and we are happy to host it," said Indiana Sports Director Fred Glass. at Peegs.com.

IU officials have provided a golf cart for transportation as well as security for Knight during today's visit.

Knight won three national titles, 11 Big Ten titles and five finals during his time in Indiana from 1971 to 2000, winning 662 games against IU at that time.

Knight was fired in 2000 by the president of the IU, Myles Brand.

IU tried to get Knight back when his national title teams were honored, but Knight refused. Even though he has not been seen until today on the IU campus, he has maintained relationships with some of his players while his relationships with others are strained or non-existent, which is one of the layers of complexity in Knight's long, well-documented history.

In his speeches in the state of Indiana since his dismissal, Knight often stressed how much he loved the fans of UI, while maintaining his dissatisfaction, with kindness, with the administrators who had dismissed him and how all this had been managed.

Today's appearance is significant in many ways, especially after Knight, whose weakening health has been observed in recent speeches, has publicly stated on numerous occasions that he has no interest in returning to the UI campus forever. The directors involved in his dismissal left the university. Current IU officials and associates – and in particular many current directors – have long argued that Knight is welcome to return to the Assembly Hall.

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