Joe Imel/Daily NewsWKU President Gary Ransdell (left) and athletic director Wood Selig speak with reporters Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Legendary men’s basketball coach Bobby Knight will not be Darrin Horn’s successor at Western Kentucky University.

In a meeting with reporters Wednesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena, WKU President Gary Ransdell said there is “absolutely zero” chance Knight will be named the Hilltoppers’ head coach. Ransdell and WKU athletic director Wood Selig said there has been no direct contact between the university and Knight.

“Cool it on that,” Ransdell said. “That is really a cruel rumor that somebody is having too much fun at somebody’s expense – mainly coach Knight’s. Somebody is having a cruel April Fool’s joke on that one.”

Knight had been the focus of intense Internet and community speculation in recent days – with some people claiming to have seen Knight in Bowling Green or surrounding communities.

“I was at (Tuesday) night’s (WKU) baseball game on campus and was told emphatically, ‘No, you were with coach Knight at Longhorn Steakhouse (on Tuesday) night,’ ” Ransdell said.

Added Selig: “There were sightings in Glasgow. He was having dinner with various people. I don’t know where all this gets started.”

Knight, the winningest coach in Division I men’s basketball history, coached from 1971 to 2000 at Indiana, where he won three national championships. He stepped down from the head coaching position at Texas Tech in February and currently serves as a college basketball analyst for ESPN.

Both Ransdell and Selig seemed incredulous about the rapid swell of the Knight-to-WKU rumors, and Ransdell in part blamed media reports for fanning the flames.

“One, two, three, four,” Ransdell said, pointing at the media members gathered outside the WKU men’s basketball locker room. “That’s how it got to this point.”

Selig did not quash the Knight talk on Tuesday night, however, while he was attending the Women’s NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, N.C. In a phone interview, Selig acknowledged the spread of the rumors and said “I think it’s legit” when asked about the validity of the speculation.

The only time the Daily News mentioned Knight’s name in connection with the WKU opening was in Wednesday’s edition, when the newspaper reported Selig’s remarks on the growing speculation.

Meanwhile, Selig also said WKU-focused Internet message boards such as www.hilltopperhaven.com played no small part in the advancement of the Knight saga.

“It’s the chat rooms, it’s the Haven,” Selig said. “It starts taking life of its own.”

Still, Selig acknowledged that discussions about Knight had taken place within the WKU administration – they simply never developed beyond that.

“I think Bobby Knight said publicly that he would consider taking another job at a school like Western Kentucky and we’ve been contacted by someone who said they could put us in contact with Bobby Knight,” Selig said. “That’s been the extent of it. We have not pursued anything, Bobby Knight has not pursued this job. That’s it. But it’s taken on a life of its own for sure.”