BLOOMINGTON — In a move that cements the legacy of one of college basketball’s most iconic figures, Indiana University Athletics announced Monday evening that a permanent bronze statue of the late Hall of Fame Coach Bob Knight will be erected at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The announcement coincided with a halftime ceremony during Indiana’s victory over Oregon, where members of the legendary 1976 undefeated national championship team were honored for their 50th anniversary.
The statue will be displayed prominently in the south lobby of Assembly Hall, standing alongside the existing statues of the 1976 championship squad. The location is deeply symbolic; the arena opened in 1971, the same year Knight arrived in Bloomington to begin a 29-year tenure that transformed the program into a national powerhouse.
“Coach Knight’s influence on the game of basketball is immeasurable, but his impact on this university and Hoosier basketball fans is even deeper,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. Having started his own career as a student manager under Knight, Dolson added, “This statue will be a well-deserved tribute to a man who didn’t just win games; he changed how the sport is played.”
Knight, who passed away in November 2023 at the age of 83, left behind a resume that remains the gold standard for many college basketball purists:
- 3 NCAA National Championships: 1976, 1981, and 1987.
- The Perfect Season: Led the 1975–76 Hoosiers to a 32-0 record—the last men’s Division I team to go undefeated.
- Conference Dominance: 11 Big Ten regular-season titles.
- Historical Standing: Finished his career with 902 victories (662 at Indiana), currently ranking sixth in all-time coaching wins.
The commission will be handled by Brian Hanlon of Hanlon Studios, a renowned sculptor who also created the existing 1976 championship statues at the arena. While Knight famously requested not to be depicted in the 2017 sculpture collection, his son, Pat Knight, noted that the family gave their full blessing for this solo tribute to the late coach.
The project is being fully funded by an anonymous donor who is described as a long-time supporter of the program. While a specific unveiling date has not been set, IU Athletics expects to release a project timeline in the coming months.
