Report: ESPN won't renew Bob Knight's contract

SI.com's Richard Deitsch is reporting that ESPN won't re-up with Bob Knight for him to continue as an analyst for the Network. From his piece:

On Thursday night, (Knight's) run as a one of the "damn people from television"—at least as far as a being a damn person from ESPN—is officially over. SI.com has learned ESPN will not renew its contract with Knight. His last broadcast for the network will be Thursday night's NIT's championship between Stanford and Miami, which tips at 8 p.m. ET.

When contacted by SI.com on Thursday afternoon, ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys declined comment.

It's hardly been a fairy-tale ending for Knight in Bristol. He paired with Brent Musburger on Big 12 "Big Monday" games early on, but the network dramatically reduced his number of assignnments over the past couple seasons, relegating him to American Athletic Conference contests this past year. He'd also been pulled from College Gameday appearances, and rarely found an opportunity on SportsCenter.

It's unknown if Knight had requested a lighter workload with the network, or if he'll seek another gig in television. The General is now 74-years old, but it's not inconceivable that a network looking to make a splash -- like Fox Sports 1 -- could dump a truckload of cash on his doorstep.

But for now, we'll the highlight of Knight's broadcasting career.

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