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INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEFebruary 8, 2020Mike WoodsonRandy WittmanBloomington, Indiana Purdue - 74, Indiana - 62 Q. Gentlemen, why do you think Coach Knight picked now to come back after 20 years of sometimes contentious feelings? RANDY WITTMAN: I'd like to not focus on the whys, but he's here. I think a lot has transpired over the last couple of years. He's moved back here. He's happy back here. And I just think at this point in his life it was time to not only let the fans see him and respond to him, but as we saw today, he loves the fans. And he responded to them. So it's not -- I don't want to get into why now. It was one of the greatest and emotional things for me personally. MIKE WOODSON: Me too. RANDY WITTMAN: I don't know if we'll see something like this again in college basketball that he came back. This is where he belongs. He moved back here. I told him, when I called him I said, you're back here for a reason because this is where you belong. And I said you need to come back with us. We love coming back and seeing each other in these reunions. This is my second or third one back. And I just told him it doesn't mean anything to us anymore if you're not a part of it. Because we came here because of him. It wasn't because of the weather. And as I told Coach, as much as the academics was a big part, it wasn't because of the academics, we came here to play for Coach. MIKE WOODSON: Yep. RANDY WITTMAN: And this was a great day for me. Emotional. It was one of the best highs I've had in a long time. Q. When did things develop to the point where you were certain Coach Knight was -- RANDY WITTMAN: You're never certain with Coach Knight, you know that. I mean, I don't know. It just was a thought when the '80 team, when we got emails about coming back, Woody and all of us that got them, respond and we touched him about coming back with us. And it all kind of just came together. It wasn't really one point where we thought this is actually going to happen. But we're just glad it did. Q. Coach Wittman, you had a phone call with him earlier this winter. And if you could just expound on kind of what you can say publicly about the conversation? And just what was your message to him about why you really wanted him back and sort of like how you went about talking to him about really making it happen? RANDY WITTMAN: For me, personally, Mike can answer it. For me, personally, he's a big part of who I am today, and what I've been able to accomplish in my life in basketball as well as non-basketball. And it was just a situation, when he moved back here, I knew he was in a good place. He was very happy being back here in Bloomington, living. And I just told him there's a reason why you're happy, because this is where you belong. It's where you belong. And we've all gone through it. I've been fired four times. It's not fun. But this state still loves this guy and as we saw today this guy still loves these fans. MIKE WOODSON: That was the reason why he came back, though. I visit Coach in Montana and Texas. This is home. I mean, he made all his marks right here at Indiana University. So for him to come back -- I've spent the last month back here in Bloomington with him and had dinner a few times with him. And we were just happy as hell knowing that he was going to come today. I mean, we didn't put a lot of work into it. This is something that he decided he wanted to do. And on short notice, we got a hold of everybody that we could get a hold of, and he showed up. And it's just a great event today. Beautiful. Q. I believe, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, did you guys watch the game with him on television in the first half in Cook Hall? And what was that like? MIKE WOODSON: We watched some of it. We mainly were socializing and taking pictures and kind of catching up a little bit with players that we hadn't seen over the years. And mainly just spending time with Coach. I mean, that's what this was all about today was to spend time with Coach. I know the Big Ten '80 team was being honored, but it was all about Coach Knight today, as far as I'm concerned. RANDY WITTMAN: I don't know -- I mean, it might have happened, but for us players to see guys from 1970 to 2000 all in the same building together that played for this man is something I'll never forget. I'll go to my grave with this memory of today. And it's just such a great day for all of us -- Coach, Karen, his son Pat, players. I think we saw that today, the love that went both ways is my main thing. He couldn't have been more happy seeing these people here today. He was great. And that's touching. Q. What do the fans need to know about the 1980 team, maybe younger fans that maybe don't know as much about it? And is it one of the more under-appreciated teams of Coach Knight? MIKE WOODSON: I don't know if it was under-appreciated. RANDY WITTMAN: I'll speak on that first because the 1980 team was better than the '81 team that won the national championship, without a question. Without a question. And because of injuries and him going down with back surgery, we weren't able to be the team that I think we could have been. MIKE WOODSON: All you had to do was come back. RANDY WITTMAN: Well, I couldn't come back. MIKE WOODSON: I did. (Laughter). RANDY WITTMAN: But that year, you think about it, that was the boycott of the '80 Olympics and we open up right here on this floor against the Russians that was supposedly the best team in the world, and I don't remember the score -- you guys can figure that score out -- but it was by 20 or something. And it was an unbelievable team. And then we just never were able -- were never able to stay healthy enough to do what we did in '81. But I think the '80 team was a much more talented and cohesive group than even the '81 team. Q. You guys talked about how much this meant to him and how he responded when he was out there. I think there was one moment where he was pumping his fist and screaming a few words, what types of things was he saying? MIKE WOODSON: "Defense." He was screaming "defense." RANDY WITTMAN: That's about the only word we can say, right? (Laughter). Q. Now that he's been here once, do you think he'll come back again? RANDY WITTMAN: That's up to him. MIKE WOODSON: Hope so. RANDY WITTMAN: Hey, I wouldn't be surprised. I was part of -- he talked to the team prior to the game. I don't know if Archie spoke on it. And to me, I was standing there, and he was Coach Knight. He was like he hasn't left that locker room. The words that he gave to those players before they went out on the floor, it was fabulous. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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