Same Knight, Different Channel: Basketball Legend Bob Knight at West Point and Today

Knights sentiment was in step with the core value of "there is no substitute for victory" at West Point, where soldiers were being trained to fight and win the next war. So it came as little surprise following Knights 18-8 record in his inaugural 1965-66 season-a season in which the twenty-five-year-old hot-headed coach berated officials, totaled chairs, and got into his first shouting match with an athletic director-that West Point chose to keep the young Coach Knight on. Whats a tantrum or two in the name of winning? With that, "Bobby T" was born. Knights bad-boy persona-the hair-trigger temper, the acting out, and the defiance-was codified as at least tolerable, if not acceptable, behavior.

Relying on firsthand experiences and interviews with teammates, administrators, and Knight himself, Isenhour traces the pattern of misbehavior established during Knights inaugural year at West Point, during his last days at Indiana, and to his reemergence at Texas Tech. The result is the most even-handed portrait of Knight to date. In a narrative both lively and irreverent, Same Knight, Different Channel demonstrates who Knight is today and shows how he was shaped by his experiences at West Point, ending with a thought-provoking discussion of just what it takes to play, coach, and win in the high-pressure world of college basketball.

Isenhour (or "Ike," as Knight apparently called him) writes in an extremely lucid, conversational style. Facts, historical quotes, and dates come off as something remembered over a cold beer rather than information recorded and then regurgitated for the purpose of writing a book. Honestly, I could care less about the history of basketball, but this is a very interesting book, and it kept me reading to the end.

If I had to pick something to complain about, it would be the fact that for much of the book, Isenhour seems to be extremely preoccupied by the culture of West Point itself. Of course having read (and then re-read) some of his astounding accounts of this institution, had I been raked over those coals, I'd probably be preoccupied with it, too. Don't get me wrong, the material is fascinating, it's just not about Bob Knight. Still, I'll accept the emphasis given to The Point since it offers the reader one of many explanations as to how Bob Knight came to be the way he is.

Note that I said "explanations" and not "excuses."


West Point not about celebs   June 7, 2003
 22 out of 39 found this review helpful

Just the fact that this book is written tends to hold Bob Knight up as a role model, unfortunately. It needs to be said, he is not a role model for anyone, nonetheless for West Point. While it is nice to have known someone who has become a celeb (infamous celeb, concerning all that West Point is supposed to stand for), West Point is not about celebs. For the good of West Point and West Pointers, past, present, and future, I think the Bob Knight connection should in no way be advertised and promoted.


The real deal   June 7, 2003
 7 out of 15 found this review helpful

I have read alot of books on Knight, this book was great, Isenhour being a player for Knight in the early years gave the book an inside angle that no other author could, Isenhour tells it like it is, the good the bad and the ugly. It is a great read.


Fair, honest, even, outstanding   May 30, 2003
 9 out of 21 found this review helpful

Just like the back cover says, this isn't a love song to Bob Knight, and it's not a cheap shot to the chops. This is a fair and accurate portrayal of the fiery Coach by a player underneath him when Knight first started out.

The fact that this player will criticize Knight speaks volumes about his integrity -- and the fact that he defends him speaks volumes about his fairness. He looks at the situation without pigeonholing things into what he calls a "Bob Knight moment" that most media paint things as.

He talks about Knight's early years in coaching. He goes into more detail on Knight's firing -- and more evenhandedly than I've ever seen -- and talks about Knight at Texas Tech too. The level of access he got is astounding, and the personal touch makes the book golden.

Such a quick read too. The author had a great, conversational writing style that makes it a fun read.

Definitely five stars, the best Bob Knight book out there and the fairest one ever.