Mike and I had a sit down interview with new Hoosier coach Tom Crean today. We will have two stories in tomorrow's paper, but we are going to try and put some stuff on the blog that won't get into the paper.
The relationship between former Hoosier coach Bob Knight and the University has been non-existent since Knight's firing in 2000. Coach Crean said he and Knight met briefly at a dinner function during the Final Four last week. Knight and Crean have met several times through their mutual friend, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.
"He knows I respect him. Our relationship is centered around some certain times with baseball. It's very easy to talk about those things and I have a great deal of respect for him. Nothing will chance that."
Did he treat you any differently? "I don't think so. We didn't have a lot of time to visit, but I don't think so." "I obviously know a lot more about him and his career than he does about me."
Can you ever envision coach Knight coming back to be recognized at IU? "I don't think that's for me to say, or even speculate. I think the most important thing right now is that he knows that I have great respect for him."
"He's as big of part of the (IU) tradition as anyone else. But at the same time, as I said the other day, Indiana basketball is bigger than any one person. That's what we have to continue to work on day by day."
