They way he told dude to leave at the beginning is by far the worst part

Uncanny how Pat Knights voice and mannerisms are exactly like his dads.

I actually think this was pretty refreshing. Kudos to Knight for being fed up with this BS.

Please. When you are going to school on a free ride, then there are expectations as to how you should preform both off and on the court. Off the court stuff is not off limits when they are part of a team that represents a university. Personal accountability is something that seems to have fallen to the wayside for a large portion of our society.

I like how Knight comes in saying "You don't know what it takes to win". Now Mike James is a starter for the Suns.

Im 40, Im a MAN, COME AFTER ME... LOL

Alright let's go cause you don't have a clue what it takes to win. LMAO.

Pat Knight is a young coach who needs some seasoning, to be sure. But he is dead right - these kids have been coddled and accept mediocrity. To change the culture, Pat had to come in and kick a few butts (symbolically) to make greatness and excellence a part of the program's DNA. I applaud his efforts and his intentions. In ten years, these kids will come back to Pat Knight and apologize.

If this is comment leads to suspension, then you might as well not let coach anymore. He is just being very upfront and honest. At any point, he doesn't raise his voice nor does he use F-bomb or S-bomb like his dad did. If 20-22 year old MEN can't handle this rant, then they should quit basketball and do basket weaving.

This is where the old school meets the entitlement culture.

"We got 8 new guys coming in next year and I guarantee you next year the attitude and the personality is going to be totally different than what we have right now". Ain't that the truth. Went from a 23-12 season this year to going 6-50 the next two years.

He is right. One kid was suspended. Others were suspended for drugs. Two was benched because they would miss the team bus to the games. Others are on academic probation. They are getting a free ride to school and they don't care.

"its not the talent, its not the size or the speed. its the mentality and attitude." - love that

I had season tickets at Lamar for several years. Lamar's players do not focus on the game. When they get called for a foul, they react to it instead of thinking about the next play. Recent 10 years have seen undisciplined, distracted, sloppy teams. They can't shoot because I don't think they practice shooting on their own. You could always count on them throwing the ball away. Pat Knight will turn this program around.

I feel like i let him down and i was cut from my highschool team 4 years ago...

Pat Knight is changing a negative culture. He told it like it is. there's a place for public embarrassment, when nothing else is working. If nothing else, he's laying the ground work for the future. Well done coach!

He's right. Too many spoiled athletes not being accountable for on & off the court antics.

It's about time a coach actually coached instead of babying these young men. In my day if a kid quit like that he would have had his ass kicked by other teammates!

At first I thought this guy was being idiotic and out of control but then when he started talking about how poorly "accountability" younger adults take. and he's absolutely right. I'm 21 and can agree my age group compared to the same age group 10, 20, 30, to 40 years ago is a joke. wayyy more partying these days and kids keep looking to their parents for help. I thought my parents were too strict rasing me but looking back on it I am so glad they were strict.

Don't see what the problem is. The problem is too many people want to praise kids no matter how bad they play. Perfect speech given the situation.

Tons of props to you, Pat Knight. It takes a real man to speak the truth about weakness in his own team. I can still hear sincere dedication in your voice

the rant worked from what i remember

I commented on this video when this happened 2 years ago and I ripped Pat Knight for Grandstanding and being a Bully like his father. I came back to this video because.....PAT KNIGHT HAS BEEN FIRED today(2/16/2014) after a 3-22 record so far this season!!! I guess Pat Knight's plan of cleaning things up with his 8 new recruits didn't work out too well. AHH! HHA! Maybe Pat Knight should've recruited players like the 6 seniors he disrespected in this video!!!

Like Father. Like son. The Knight family tree, ladies and gentleman!!

It’s a terrible thing when bullying, swearing, cutting down, insulting, threatening, no longer motivate young men.

Good man, sometimes you gotta check em

Ok ppl he's a young coach and made the mistake he said in a press conference. Not what he said was a mistake just the place. Ask any college coach and they've said what pat knight just said

Good Morning, My name is Osayekeme Ebomwonyi. I played Basketball for Coach Knight and we won the conference championship. Though I did not do go the following year and had to leave the team from school reason and personal reason. I was able to finish strong I finish my degree program their and was also able to get a Master's degree in ministry. This reminds me that I have power through the God who love me. Thank you, and I pray all goes well with everyone and Coach Knight.

young people need to be accountable...

20-22 year old men in this game need to be held accountable.

Pat Knight has epic frank news conference without the coachspeak about Lamar

Great response. More coaches should call out underperforming players.

Love it! I'm glad someone can be a man and tell it like it is. Suspending him would not only have a negative impact on that school's sports, but it sets a precedent for future sports. This guy should get a raise or go coach for a school who is actually going to "show up" to play.

Pat Knight for President

GREAT JOB!!! Finally a coach steps up! More coaches need to step up and call out kids that feel like its a right for them to play D1 ball... its a privilege not a right and they need to be called out for being complete low-life losers.

The best part was that it lit a fire under them and they won the Southland Conference tournament for the first time ever and got into the NCAA tournament.

12 years later, Mike James is the all time leading scorer in the euroleague.

It's his players, they signed up for it, they need to stick to team rules. If not then he has all right to say this.

To the person who downloaded this video, you need to look up the definition of "rant" in the dictionary! That was no rant. Pat was upset, but he never raised his voice, he told things like it is, and I completely believe he did it out of the goodness of his heart because he cares about seeing that his players are prepared for life after college. Based on his comments, his seniors in particular still had a lot of growing up to do.

disgraceful coaching.

Classic!!! This is the realest interview ever.

I go to lamar. U cant suspend him for speakin the truth! Erthang he said was right on point....

Congratulations to Pat Knight and his team for punching their ticket to the dance! This speech apparently got through to the players and they turned it around.

1:45 the guy stood up and walked out lol. Obviously he's heard enough 😅😅

Ain't that the truth. I hate the way today's college athletes treat their scholarships as a right. Its not a right, its a privilege. They should be more focused on playing for the name of the front of the jersey, not the back.

Need more coaches like this!

Kind of reminds me of Sam Houston State football team. After making it to the semi-finals in 2004, the team was mediocre until coach Fritz came in 2010. He didn't have a great start, but near the end he put a lot of freshmen in and they were able to win the last 3 games. A tough off season program and disciplined changed the team. They went from mediocre to making it to the FCS football championship, ultimately losing. You need discipline and those who can't hack it need to leave the team.

On every site I've visited with a story about this, the comments have been overwhelmingly supportive of Coach's remarks. Go to the 8:00 mark of the youtube video "One Last Interview with Pat Knight," his last interview as Tech's coach. Listen to what he has to say about the seniors from that team.

Pure Awesomeness!

Well Said Pat

@Chriscjs OR maybe he came into a situation where the previous coach recruited a bunch of guys who have some basketball skills but no heart when it comes to competing. unfortunately for you, saying "as a head coach the buck stops with him" is completely wrong. he can say anything he wants to before a game and during practice, but he can't make the guys go out and give 100%. he also wasn't the one missing practices, sleeping in late on road games, and getting busted with pot in his dorm room.

they all have the allen iverson mentality without the skill and focus on the court lol

He sounds just like Pat Shurmur. He was raised right. He will get another coaching gig if he hasnt already

Pat did nothing wrong. Last year's team had potential and wasn't doing jack. They were lazy, disrespectful, and not staying out of trouble. What Pat did was a wake-up call for them and it worked. This year's team didn't have that potential (at least not this year). They didn't have the talent. Yet, they were respectful and weren't getting into trouble. Therefore, he didn't have to publicly rip them like this.

parents should want their kids to play for a guy who will not sugar coat things and make you become accountable

Welcome to Beaumont, it's infectious!

As a 1988 Lamar Alum from a once proud tradition of a winning Lamar Basketball program this is most welcome news. If these guys can not muster the emotion to put forth their best effort then they need to be sent packing. These student athletes where brought to Lamar for the sole purpose of receiving an education and in return we only ask they exhibit some modicum of pride and integrity. The guys are stealing money from Lamar at this point and it is disgusting.

A good coach doesn't creampuff his team. A good coach calls his team out and tells them, "Hey, you need to get your act together". He spoke the truth, and they're going to try to prove him wrong, which will make them better. He shouldn't be suspended, he should be applauded.

@southsidesman so true. if they are having off the court issues, you gotta deal with that as a coach first over everything. not wait until a bad game, and just tell everyone. if they have attitude problems, bench them period.

Wonder if Mike James reflects on this moment? Dude had a long journey before getting on the Nets and has a chance winning the chip

It doesn't take a real man to cry to the media. It takes a real man to fix the problem, not blame other people when your team fails.

I'd love if the original uploader would explain what his problem with this post-game interview is. Why are "off-court" issues off limits? That speaks to a player's character and the commitment they have to the team. I love that a college coach had the balls to bring up the fact that these idiots who think they are King S*** now will be jobless and homeless if they don't get their act together.

Sometimes calling people out is what the team needs. And evidently, it worked.

This is what a coach should be like. No candy coating, no BS. We need more coaches like this. Everyone whining about it is just used to the "everyone's a winner" mentality. Get in the game or get out.

Love this.more coaches should be this real.

📍 Culverhouse College of Business 📍Bauer College of Business 📍Lundquist College of Business 📍Harvard College of Business

He's right. They should be accountable for their actions. They are 22 years old. They ARE stealing their scholarship money.

At least Pat Knight showed more class than mike leach.

@twiggins111 I have seen both teams play Nicholls State because I cover the Colonels. We'll see how happy Beaumont is with Pat Knight come Year 2 and Year 3. Ask Texas Tech & Lubbock how happy they were to watch Knight leave.

Tell 'em, Pat!

He didn't recruit these players. He was brought in to clean up the team. I applaud his honesty. The sooner these kids figure out that they are ruining their opportunities the better. And if they never figure it out, coddling didn't work...at least someone tried tough love.

Coaches always say "I'd rather have a team of walk-ons that gave good effort and had good attitudes than a team of prima donnas that don't give play hard. So Pat, you are the COACH. Get rid of these players you don't like and bring in some players from the student rec center and quit your complaining!! It's your team, quit talking like you don't have any control!!

Tell them how you really feel Pat....DAMN DUDE!

Bold calling out the kid's characters

Can't fault the man for being honest. That's what a coach is supposed to do, right?? Did he cuss? NO! Did he single out one kid? No! He called them all out. Good for him. Wish more coaches (especially in HS and AAU) would teach kids to play as a TEAM these days.

"it's not about X's and O's". Way to take some accountability coach! Yeah, y'all rallied to make the "dance", but you'll be outta there in 4 yrs. Save that quote for the university president when he gets ready to fire you.

I LOL'ed when he said they were stealing money by being on scholarship! You know thats not the first time hes said that!

Good job coach. People get mad when someone tells em how it is. Great job!!!!!

This message is about accountability. Which is something that many kids are not being taught these days. Good for Coach Knight for teaching this lesson to a group who obviously need it. Not everybody is a winner and not everything you do is okay. Idiotic suggestion that he be suspended. I sure whoever suggested that thinks we should not keep score and give everyone a ribbon. We are raising a nation of wimps.

📍Alvarez College of Business 📍Katz College of Business 📍Mendoza College of Business 📍Marshall College of Business

This wasn't a rant. This was him simply telling it like it was, just like his father did. Those kids needed someone to call them out on their bullshit, and these kids today really need the same. The truth is this era today is so different from this Pat Knight era, and far different from his father's era. Coaches demanded so much out of their players, and these players were at least respectful. Bob Knight ran a great program at Indiana before he got fired. He taught them to be MEN. That's the difference between these eras and today's era. If anyone thinks Pat Knight was mean here, you haven't see Bob Knight coach. If Pat Knight was being an asshole, good for him. Someone needed to. Someone needed to get in the kids' asses and light a fire under them. Pat Knight had one job, and that was to turn these boys into men. Kudos to him.

This guy is a hero. There needs to be more coaches like this. Suspend him? You're out of your damn mind. He she be applauded.

This Lamar team would go on to make the NCAA Tournament. The next 2 years without the “worst seniors”, Coach Knight would lead Lamar to 6 total wins in 2 seasons before being fired

I like his honesty, if this team was like this and he was aware of these problems I'm sure the school was aware of it and did nothing towards the teams actions. As far as Knight is concerned I can see his frustration but I think he took it a little too far because that is someone son he is talking about. I don't think he should be fired but but at the same time he may not care what they do and in that case he should be fired.

When they play poorly.

All coaches with players who don't give a damn about winning should do this. In today's namby-pamby PC let's give teens anything they want world it's refreshing to see someone tell it like it is.ESPN hates it because they're the worst when it comes to coddling these brats. They're part of the problem. And Lamar's gone on a 5-game win streak since so obviously Knight was right. I've said for years the best and maybe only way to motivate today's spoiled athlete is to tell him he sucks.

The issue is not the level of "ranting" or his criticisms. It's making the criticisms public--in a TV interview, no less. Jim Harbaugh has been praised for NOT showing disrespect to players to the press, for not belittling them to others. It's an ethical issue. Pat has to take some responsibility for his team and their performances, and one way to do that is to acknowledge some of his frustrations but not to "diss" the players or blame them to the public.

@zsharpe04 The sites I visited were random. Many had the same story word for word so I moved on to the next. When I scrolled through the comments there were more supportive of PK than not and some of the comments supporting him had a ratio of 5:1 or 10:1 "thumbs up." I saw several comments by Lamar students and not one supported the effort (on the court or in the classroom) of those referred to. Since these student-athletes are not eleite D1 players, basketball is not likely in thier future.

This was not smart for Pat to say. He just killed his head coaching career for the college ranks. What recruit will want to play for a coach that does this? Good luck finding recruits now.

@cothrantyson1 100% agree. this has been boiling for months. he's experienced and knows how to coach.

No--this guy should be promoted. I'm a professor at a college in the Southland Conference and I can verify that kids are coddled too much and aren't held accountable. They have no idea how to work hard and how to keep a positive attitude in the face of adversity. I try to teach them these things, but it's obvious that I'm the first person who's had the guts to tell them they aren't good enough. The reason he's so frustrated is that he's already tried everything--he's not the problem here.

I wonder how the players will react to this. I wonder if this will light a fire in them or will they give up and put their coach under the bus? Will be interesting to see. I wonder how they are 17-11 in the first place? The way he's talkin, it's like they are 11-17

This team was in the tournament the year of this.......

@nightdiamond3345 Good comment and oh so true. I'm suprised that there are so many out there that just don't get it. It's hard for me to understand how anyone could criticize a coach for expecting players to actually do what they said they would by signing their letters of intent.

he deserves a pay raise and a promotion!!

They should all watch the ESPN special "Broke" for a rude awakening. They wouldn't be acting the way you described.

What is he supposed to say? "Everything is okay guys, we'll get em next time" If he did that then he should be suspended!

Kudos to PK!!!! Call them and if drugs are involved...call them out!!! Like he said, and it's true, parent and society doesn't do a good job o holding kids accountable anymore!!!!

He nails it @2:48.

Suspend Pat Knight? Are you kidding me? Lamar should give him a raise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good job Coach!