Bobby Knight used to manhandle players. In his days at Indiana University, Knight was known for throwing chairs, roughing up the occasional athlete and melting down at the random post-game press conference. Despite his success, Knight was known as much for his temper tantrums as he was for his titles. When you sent your kid to play for Knight, you knew what you were getting: a strict disciplinarian. In some sick and twisted way, Knight made treating a player in that fashion almost acceptable.
That was until Neil Reed. It was Reeds allegations that Knight choked him in practice, charges that were later confirmed when a video of the incident was made public, that ultimately led to Knights dismissal.
This season, the hands on approach to coaching has taken on new meaning. While it might seem unfair to compare Mark Mangino, Mike Leach and Jim Leavitt to Bobby Knight, they all share one thing in common. They were all fired from their respective positions amid allegations that they in one way or another mistreated one of their players.