What happened to Bobby Knight, happened to a lot of coaches, and in a different way may even be happening to out own patriots legend. He was one of the best at one time, probably the best. He changed the game. His passing game, concepts of moving without the ball are the foundations of the game today, even though the goal has changed to a open 3 rather than the back door layup or elbow jumper. Like Lombardi, Rockne, McGraw, even Wooden he was a coach who simply took the game more seriously, demanded more intense training and effort than his competitors. The truth of such pioneers is they set the framework for their own defeat. By the time of his undefeated 1976 team all of his rivals had organized off season workouts, used motion concepts, and demanding intensity was the hallmark of a good coach. Coach k, a protege of Knight is a more polished, correct version. Like Knight's Hoosiers K's Blue Devils wear surviving his workouts, surviving their coach as a medal.
Had Knight died in 1977 or 1981 (like Lombardi did near the height of his fame) he would have been an icon. But. Knight persisted and as he aged saw increasingly offensive behaviours as the anecdote to his critics and proof of just how big he is. He stubbornly refused to change and doubled down on his worst qualities, ruining what once his place as Wooden's heir to the throne.