Texas Tech coach Bob Knight got into a verbal spat with the university chancellor, David Smith, at a grocery store Monday, prompting a review by school officials.
One eyewitness told the Lubbock Avalance-Journal that Knight raised his voice to Smith after the chancellor approached him at a salad bar to compliment the coach on his recent good behavior.
The witness told the paper that Knight flew into a rage and accused Smith of being a liar, saying that there had been nothing wrong with his demeanor this year.
Smith turned to leave the area, the Avalanche-Journal reported, but Knight followed. The chancellor then told Knight that he deserved more respect than Knight was showing him, according to the Avalanche-Journal.
The newspaper reports that no physical contact took place before Knight left the establishment after the confrontation, got in his car and pulled into traffic. According to the Avalanche-Journal, Knight stopped his car then and briefly got out before getting back in and driving away.
"This is obviously an issue that is internal to the university," School spokeswoman Sally Logue Post told The Associated Press. "Right now the athletic director and the president's office at the university are looking into the incident. We'll wait to hear more in the next few days about their review."
When asked if school officials were talking about firing Knight, Post told the Dallas Morning News: "Not to my knowledge. I haven't been privy to the discussions."
Top Tech administrators were meeting late Monday to discuss the issue, Post told the Morning News.
Gerald Myers, the university's athletic director who was instrumental in bringing Knight to Tech in 2001 after he was fired at Indiana, witnessed the encounter. Myers had accompanied Knight to the store, according to the Avalanche-Journal.
The men were getting food around lunchtime at Market Street, an upscale grocery store about two miles from the university, said Dan Sanders, chief marketing officer for United Supermarkets, which owns the store where the incident occurred.
"Apparently, there was some sort of disagreement," Sanders said. "It took place very quickly."
Neither Myers nor sports information director Randy Farley immediately returned telephone messages Monday night.
While still at Indiana in March 2000, Knight was investigated by the university after former player Neil Reed said the coach choked him at a practice in 1997.
In May 2000, Knight was fined $30,000, suspended for three games and placed under a "zero-tolerance behavior policy.
In early September 2000, Knight was accused of grabbing a student by the arm, cursing and lecturing him about manners after the coach was addressed "Hey, Knight, what's up?"
Knight was soon fired from Indiana for violating the behavior policy. Indiana's president Myles Brand, now president of the NCAA, fired him for what Brand called a "pattern of unacceptable behavior."
Just over a month ago, Knight went into a profanity-filled tirade after an ESPN reporter asked about his relationship with former player Steve Alford, who was also participating in the interview. He later apologized for the incident.
Texas Tech is 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference this season. The No. 19 Red Raiders had been unbeaten in the league until last week, when they lost to Texas and Oklahoma State. Tech takes on Baylor Tuesday at the United Spirit Arena.
