Longtime IU basketball assistant coach Ron Felling has passed away.
The Illinois high school basketball coaching great worked for 14 years as an assistant coach under IU basketball legend Bob Knight.
He was hired by Knight ahead of the 1985-86 season when Jim Crews left his assistant post to take the Evansville job. Felling was part of one national title, four Big Ten titles, and the Hoosiers made an NCAA Tournament appearance every season he was on staff.
In 1997 Felling moved from an assistant coaching role to an administrative position.
On Dec. 4, 1999 Knight released a statement indicating Felling had decided to step away from the program to pursue other interests outside of basketball.
Later reports indicated Felling was fired following a series of incidents, culminating with an altercation with Knight.
Felling is best known for his 16-year run at Lawrenceville H.S. (Lawrenceville, Ill.), where he led the school to four state championships in 1972, 1974, 1982, and 1983, including back-to-back undefeated 34-0 seasons in 1982 and 1983. He is in the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame for his coaching prowess.
IU player Marty Simmons played for Felling in high school and was the star of those 1982 and 1983 teams.
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