Bill Belichick remembers Bob Knight as a "great, great coach" and "wonderful man"

FOXBORO -- The sports world is mourning the loss of Bob Knight, a coaching giant who passed away at the age of 83 on Wednesday night. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was close with Knight, whom he knew for decades, and took some time to reflect on his life and career Friday morning.

Belichick said that he was a young boy (likely under the age of 10) when he met Knight through his father, Steve Belichick, a coaching great himself during his long career at Navy. Belichick's relationship with the famous Hoosiers coach only grew stronger when he joined Bill Parcells' coaching staff, putting him with another close friend of Knight's. 

"I saw a lot of Coach Knight and learned a lot from him. Learned a lot from him and I enjoyed my time with him. A wonderful man. A great, great coach," Belichick said Friday at Gillette Stadium.

Belichick said that Knight was up there in the "Big Five" of college hoop coaching greats, along with Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, UCLA's John Wooden, and Kentucky's Adolph Rupp. (He tailed off before naming a fifth coach.)

Knight won three NCAA titles as head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, a position he held from 1971-2000. He was a controversial figure due to his fiery manner and attitude, which ultimately cost him his job at Indiana, but will forever remain in the fraternity of great coaches in all of sports.

"Tough loss for coaching," Belichick said Friday.