Famed professional basketball coach Bobby Knight passed away recently in Bloomington, Indiana, at 83.
With this, basketball fans have become more curious about Knight’s life, wondering if he had a brother or a sister.
Raised in a lower-middle-class family in Orville, Ohio, Bobby’s fascination with sports started when he was a kid.
Although his parents had no background in athletics, Knight convinced them and played organized basketball for his school’s team.
So, what motivated him to embark on a path that was entirely new for him? Did he have any siblings who inspired him? Read this article further to find out!
Robert Montgomery Knight, better known as Bobby Knight, was an American collegiate basketball coach. Starting his career in the early sixties, Knight coached four college teams spanning nearly five decades.
During his tenure, Bobby led his teams to 902 Division I men’s basketball games wins, the fifth highest ever.
Aside from winning the 1960 NCAA championship as a player, Knight later won three titles as a coach for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Moreover, he also worked as a studio analyst at ESPN briefly after retiring from his coaching career.
Did Bobby Knight Have A Brother Or Sister?
Bobby Knight was born to his parents, Pat (Carroll) and Hazel Knight, on October 25, 1940, in Orrville, Ohio. Besides him, his parents had no other kids.
Bobby was born to parents in their forties, and he grew up as an only child with no brothers or sisters.
Speaking of his parents, his dad, Pat, was a railroad man with no interest in sports. Although he taught him fishing and hunting, he never attended his son’s games.
Originally from Oklahoma, he moved to Ohio before he married Bobby’s mother, Hazel. Unfortunately, Bobby’s dad died when he was only 29.
His mother, Hazel, was an educated lady, and she was an elementary-level school teacher at a school situated across the road from his childhood home.
Although he admits his mom had considerable influence on him, he was raised mainly by his maternal grandmother, who lived with his family.
In his parents’ absence, his grandmother, Sarah Henthorne, looked after him and let him enjoy his games during his leisure time with local kids.
Little On Bobby Knight’s Career
The late collegiate basketball coach started his basketball career as a player for Orrville High School in his teens. Aside from basketball, he was good in baseball and football as well.
After graduating in 1958, he joined the Ohio State University for his higher education. While there, he played collegiate basketball for the Buckeyes under the head coach Fred Taylor.
As he had always wanted to be a coach, Bobby started his career joining the Cuyahoga Falls HS as their assistant coach in 1962.
A year later, he joined the coaching staff of the Army Black Knights, where he stayed for nearly a decade.
Furthermore, Bobby gained widespread recognition as the head coach of the Hoosiers, where he was a head coach for nearly three decades.
Aside from winning three championships, he won several awards, including Naismith Coach of the Year and Henry Iba Award.
Bobby was the head coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders before his retirement in 2008.
Now, discussing his personal life, Knight was a family man. Until his demise, he was married to his wife, Karen Vieth Edgar.
Apart from Karen, he exchanged vows with his first wife, Nancy Falk (1693-1985). Together, they even had two kids, Pat and Kim Knight.