Coach K vs. Coach Knight Essay Example

but the best from his players and pushed them to strive for excellence. He did not play favorites among players, and did not tolerate egos or slacking off. As a motivational tool, he was known to use profanity and intimidation.

He also displayed indications of a fiery temper, which he dismissed as passion. In an infamous incident at a 1985 game against Purdue, Knight threw a chair across the court after an official made, what he believed to be, a bad call. Then in 2000, several former players came forward and accused Knight of verbal and physical abuse.This lead to a formal investigation by Indiana’s Board of Trustees, and resulted in a zero-tolerance policy regarding inappropriate behavior.

Only four short months later, Coach Knight was involved in another incident of verbal and physical abuse, and was fired from his job. While Coach K and Coach Knight had very different coaching styles, they both shared the same rule for their teams, don’t do anything detrimental to the team, the school, or yourself. And they both proved that their different coaching styles could produce great teams.However, Coach Knight’s style cost him his job at Indiana University, while Coach K’s style lead to a job offer as head coach of the Lakers. I think that both of the coach’s styles are highly effective (look at their win records), but I think Coach K’s is the best.

He seems to be able to balance between a tough and soft side, and gains the respect of his players. He is portrayed in the media as a wonderful coach, while Coach Knight is portrayed as a hot-head maniac. This portrayal does

not gain the respect of people, which I think is an important quality for people to see in a leader.