Knight, IU need closure

From the very mentioning of the word "fire" concerning a hall of fame former men's basketball coach there was a mess. And now with the filing of a lawsuit by Robert M. Knight against IU in Monroe County Circuit Court Nov. 8, so begins another dismal chapter in the public saga between a former employee and his former employer.\nKnight says the University did not release him in accordance to his contract, therefore owing him more than $2 million in lost income and "damages." The University says they provided more than enough opportunities for the coach to repent of his ways. Both are right. Now both need to settle to move on from this unfortunate mess.\n Besides the chair throwing, constant tirades and a public feud between himself and his then-athletic director, the mess began when Knight denied choking or even placing a hand near the throat of former guard Neil Reed. It peaked with a videotape on CNN proving Knight wrong, and University President Myles Brand implementing a "zero tolerance" policy. The conclusion came when former IU student Kent Harvey accused the coach of placing his hands on him in the doorway of Assembly Hall, resulting in Knight's dismissal Sept. 11, 2000.\nSince then the accusation floodgates have opened and have even brought about a suit against the University from some IU basketball fans. This needs to end, and it needs to happen without the jury trial Knight and his lawyers have requested.\nAccording to the suit, Knight claims Brand released him "without cause, without a proper meeting of the trustees and without giving (Knight) an opportunity to defend himself from the allegations that (Brand) had made against him publicly." Now the cause to fire Knight was there, there was no "proper" meeting of the trustees to discuss the firing and Knight decided to leave for his "previously paid for" fishing trip to Canada rather than come back to campus to explain himself. But according to the suit, Knight's contract states the athletic director must recommend the coach's firing to the president for the University and the trustees to act, and the president must notify Knight "in writing" and give him "the opportunity to receive in writing the specific reasons for his termination." The lawsuit also states the "zero tolerance" policy was not added to Knight's contract with the University.\nThe University and Knight need to settle this case. Not just because the proper steps to remove Knight were not taken, but because both have moved on. IU should offer a Michael McNeely-like severance package to compensate for the income Knight was due according to his contract, Knight should accept the offer and both sides should get back to focusing on the future.\nKnight has gotten back into coaching at Texas Tech. Myles Brand is once again becoming Knight's boss as president of the NCAA beginning Jan. 1. Former athletic director Clarence Donninger is retired and working with his law firm in Indianapolis. The men's basketball program is still winning with a new coach. But to finally remove these harsh feelings toward each other, both sides need to sit down and continue the settlement talks that recently broke down and stop this public feud.