It was vintage Knight at Metroplex

The Texas Tech coach didn't pull any punches.
& lt;a href=mailto:bassetti@vindy.com & gt;By JOHN BASSETTI & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
LIBERTY -- Coaching is what Bobby Knight does best.
How he does it is second-best.
Using a powerful, in-your-face delivery, with emphasis in the right spots and no hesitation in his thoughts, the famed college basketball coach came across loud and clear in his address before the Liberty High Hall of Fame crowd at the Holiday Inn MetroPlex Sunday night.
Standing on a stage before 500 guests with two large video screens projecting his likenesss, the setting was anything but intimate.
But Knight managed to pitch his points with poignancy.
Using mostly story-telling or anecdotes, he conveyed the importance of a coach's influence in a kid's life.
"It's amazing what a coach can do with kids," said Knight, currently the men's coach at Texas Tech after being fired in 2000 from Indiana University.
Using unconventional methods -- a.k.a. the old-fashioned way -- Knight pulled no punches.
Great stories
Many of his stories were hilarious, albeit punctuated with his trademark profanity.
It was appropriate for the MetroPlex -- the same location as the Funny Farm Comedy Club.
"Parents have changed, not the kids," he said of today's methods in child rearing.
Using his own grandson as an example, soft punishment doesn't cut it with Knight.
"Now, Breadon, quit that," Knight said, mimicking his son's approach. "Now if you don't quit, we're going to have a timeout. If my dad were still alive, he'd say 'timeout my a--.' "
In short, Knight said modern parents don't enforce rules and don't put emphasis in the right places.
Doesn't agree on changes
Knight understands that times have changed, but he doesn't seem willing to buy into it.
"Now, coaches have to overcome parental timeouts. There wasn't the empty timeout threat for coaches 30 years ago."
Knight said psychology isn't in his repertoire.
Instead of being sympathetic and encouraging a kid who's missed eight shots in a row, for example, Knight gets to the nitty-gritty.
"Is there anything about me pressing on your jugular that you don't understand?" he'll ask.
Translated, that's synonymous with coaches having a responsibility to understand kids and know what they can do.
The drive for excellence is another Knight pet peeve.
"The failure in American education is that nobody gets upset when Suzy gets three F's and a D. Nobody demands. Nobody clamps down and puts limits on kids. We've got to get back to demanding more from kids."
Another contribution coaches can make to players is proper guidance, and Knight seems to have the knack to know what kids can do or can't do.
Orrville native
The native of Orrville who played basketball at Ohio State in the early 1960s, said he enjoys the practice phase of sports.
"I like seeing if what we prepared for can beat what they prepared for," he said.
Dealing with change is another lesson for players and coaches alike.
"A big change in my life was being forced to leave Indiana," he said.
Integrity is big in Bobby's world.
He told a tale of a football player from Texas in the 1950s who turned down being the first Marlboro man because he didn't want the job of being associated with kids smoking cigarettes.
Throughout his talk, Knight showered praise on Bill Shunkwiler, his former coach at Orrville High.
"I played for Bill in baseball, football and basketball, and he had a big influence on my life," said Knight.
Liberty's 2003 Hall of Fame inductees were: Dr. David Dull, Buzz Berkowitz, Sam Santisi, Ray Timlin, Bill Swertfager, Margaret Somple-Hotz, Joe DeSalvo, Brian Justin Wolf and Bill Rupert.
& lt;a href=mailto:bassetti@vindy.com & gt;bassetti@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;