"Coach Knight has had a great career. His coaching record speaks for itself. His love for basketball is clear, but most importantly his love for teaching and the students has been a hallmark of his tenure here at Texas Tech," said Sally Logue Post, a spokeswoman for Texas Tech.

"There’s a transition that’s going to take place here from me to Pat and I’ve dwelt on this all year long — about what would be the best way to do this, and how it would be best for him and for the team and for what we can do in the long run to make this the best thing for Texas Tech," said Knight, who retires with 902 career victories. "I didn’t know, I’ve never really known when I was going to step down from this job. As I thought about it, my first thought was at the end of this season."

"My thinking was that for Pat and for this team — most of which is returning next year — the best thing for the long run for this team would be for Pat and his staff to coach these remaining 10 games," Knight said. "And (to) get an understanding, get a real feel for each other, be able to think over the course of the spring and summer going into next season about how people had played, how things had been done offensively or defensively, what could be done or couldn’t be done, what to stay away from, what to work on and develop that from a game standpoint as the coach in charge of everything rather than as an assistant coach.

"It was always a problem for me as to just what would be the most effective way in this transition, to make this transition. And with all the thought that I put into it, that’s exactly how I felt that it should be."