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Counting down the top 10 Texas Tech coaches of the Big 12 era

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight goes onto the floor to shout instructions. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)
Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight goes onto the floor to shout instructions. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images) /

No. 6: Bob Knight

From a Lubbock legend, let’s now turn our attention to a national legend.  One of the biggest names in the history of college basketball, Bob Knight spent the final 6-plus years of his hall of fame career with Texas Tech.

During that time, he set the NCAA record for career wins with 880 and became the first coach in history to get to 900 victories.  Needless to say, those accomplishments brought notoriety to Texas Tech basketball that had previously been unthinkable given how mightily the program had struggled to earn national attention throughout the decades.

With Tech, Knight went 138-82.  His winning percentage of .627 is second in program history behind another guy who is going to appear on this list and Knight sits at No. 4 all-time among Red Raider basketball coaches in career wins.

He guided Tech to the NCAA Tournament four times.  In 2005, his team reached the Sweet 16, which at the time was as far as any Red Raider team had ever advanced in the event.

But unlike other coaches on this list, Knight never captured a Big 12 title with the Red Raiders.  Still, he sits in the middle of this countdown because he was able to take a woebegone program and bring it national respect overnight.  No pun intended.

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