Dan Dakich, Former Bob Knight Player And Assistant, Remembers Complicated Relationship With Late Coach

OutKick's Dan Dakich talked about his relationship with late college basketball coaching great Bob Knight on Thursday's edition of Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich.

Dakich played for Knight at Indiana and coached under him there as an assistant as well. On Thursday's show, he took time to tell some stories and talk about his relationship with Knight, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 83.

Check out the video to hear some of these stories for yourself, but we've pulled out some highlights below.

On Why Knight Is The Best Basketball Coach Ever

"People ask me why was he the best basketball coach ever in my opinion. Well, that's simple. I learned this stat a long time ago. You know, Bob Knight had more national championships than (legendary North Carolina head coach) Dean Smith. You know that Bob Knight had one — one — NBA All-Star on his team. Isaiah Thomas. One. In 28 years. He had one. That's it."

On The Highs And Lows Of Working For And With Bob Knight

"It feels like three lifetimes ago I was with Bob Knight. It feels like that was a different person, it feels like that lifetime was just a special place in somebody else's memory. But, damn, do I have great memories of it. Damn, did I enjoy it. I loved playing for Bob Knight, I loved coaching for Bob Knight, but this show is real. I did not like coaching for him. The last two years that I worked for him. I would have taken any job. If foreman at the steel mill came open, I was getting the hell out of there because I didn't think he worked very hard. And all I did was fire me and (former assistant Ron) Felling, and every coach and blame every loss on us. And I kind of had enough.

On A Physical Altercation With The Legendary Coach

" gives me a shot in front of the team. I'm like, 'Alright'... There's a little room where we used to go at halftime. He's in there. So I go in there and I go, "Hey coach, I gotta tell you, I love you, but don't ever do that again. I mean, I'm not going to hit you in front of the team, but don't do that. Don't ever do that again.'

"He stood up he came at me and I drilled him right here in the chest. And I knocked him back into the sofa. Never hit me again."

On Doing An Impression Of Knight

"I was a senior in college. We had just won a couple of games. We had a bad year. But I don't know why, we're laughing in the locker room like guys do and I started going off, and around the corner came Knight. , and everybody . I had a choice, right? I knew he was there, I could, y'know, stop — be intimidated — or I kept going. And behind me — he didn't say nothing — but I kept going and I ended it with,'...and that's f---king right, Dakich, you dumb son of a...' and I sat down in my chair and I looked at him and he was rolling."

On Drinking A Beer For The Late Coach

"I'm gonna drink a beer to you tonight, Coach Knight. I am. One time they had said to me, 'Hey, Dakich, you drink beer?' I said, 'Coach, I'm not gonna lie to you. Not often, but yeah, once in a while.'

He goes, 'You thought I was gonna rip you, didn't you?' I said, 'Yeah, I did.' He goes, 'I can't tell drinking beer is any worse than drinking a Coke, but if you get arrested for drinking beer, you're off the team,' and he walked away. And I yelled at him, 'Fair enough!' He turned around and he flipped me off.'