Mississippi’s all-time winningest basketball coach, Steve Knight, is retiring after leading the William Carey men’s team for the past 44 seasons.
Knight, a Hattiesburg native and Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer, was named the head coach at William Carey in 1982. In just his second season, the Crusaders were Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Champions for the first time under his leadership. Knight’s Crusaders won five more GCAC Championships in 1985, 1987, 1990, 1992, and 1997. During that span, Carey went to the NAIA National Tournament seven times.
In 1987, along with his duties as the head basketball coach, Knight was named William Carey’s athletic director. He served in that role for 30 years until 2016. During his tenure as AD, William Carey more than tripled the number of sports offerings from five to 17. He was selected as a conference Athletic Director of the Year four times and the NAIA Southeast AD of the Year twice. He also served as President of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference from 2001-05 and again from 2006-10.
“God has blessed me with forty-four great years at William Carey, and I am forever indebted to Him and those who gave an opportunity to a young, inexperienced twenty-five-year-old aspiring coach back in 1982,” Knight said. “I have had the opportunity to work with awesome, supportive people, including Presidents, administrators, staff, and fellow coaches, and could not have envisioned a better job experience than what I have had for so long in my hometown.”
Even when pulling double duty for so many years, Knight’s basketball machine kept rolling. Carey left the GCAC to join the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2010, and the wins kept piling up. Carey made it to the NAIA National Tournament six times between 2010 and 2019, including SSAC championships in 2014 and 2018.
The 2014 campaign ended with a 28-3 mark, setting a school record for wins in a season and earning Knight the title of NAIA National Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year. In 2019, Knight’s team earned a trip to the NAIA Fab Four for the first time ever. The latest team achievement came just this season, when the Crusaders tied the school record for wins en route to another SSAC Championship and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament.
“I’ve known Coach Steve Knight for most of my life, and still remember the privilege of calling him ‘coach’ as a 12-year-old playing Dixie Youth baseball here in Hattiesburg,” William Carey President Ben Burnett said. “For 44 years, he has faithfully served William Carey University, building not only a championship program but also shaping generations of young men. While he is retiring from coaching, the culture he built- one grounded in discipline, integrity, faith, and excellence in both academics and athletics- will continue to shape William Carey University for years to come.”
Knight finishes his career with 819 wins. In addition to his Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame induction, he is also a member of the University of Southern Mississippi Hall of Fame, the William Carey University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Hattiesburg Public School District Hall of Fame, and the Southern Miss Alumni Hall of Fame.
“Being able to see my children graduate from WCU and for my wife to be able to work here, as well, warms my heart,” Knight said. “They got to experience what I have been able to enjoy on a daily basis. Leaving a program better than I found it has always been the goal, and I feel we have been able to do that, plus much more. A special thanks to all of my players who were receptive to coaching and wore the Carey uniform with pride. What a ride it has been!”