Life has been anything but boring for Ray Knight since he was fired as Reds manager midway through the 1997 season.

        Over the past four years, Knight has been an ESPN analyst, had back surgery and a challenging rehabilitation and opened a hunting preserve, which he ran with his son.

        But that wasn't as exciting as competing for a division title.

        Knight, also a former Reds player, returned to the team in December as bench coach.

        If he would have turned down the job, Knight said he still would be working on his 700-acre hunting preserve in Albany. Ga.. which is full of deer, turkey and quail, instead of preparing for spring training later this month in Sarasota, Fla.

        “It's tough to leave this time of the year,” Knight said. “But I think it's time to get back and enjoy baseball.”

        After leaving the Reds more than four years ago, Knight stayed close to baseball by working as an analyst on games for ESPN.

        That stint helped seal his slow comeback to Cincinnati.

        When Knight covered Reds games, he and general manager Jim Bowden, the person who fired him, would talk.

        “Jim would say, "You need to be back in the game,'” Knight said. “And I would tell him that I always felt like it was way too early for me to get back in the game.”

        Bowden told Knight if he ever wanted to get back into baseball, to give him a call.

        That was two years ago. The two stayed in touch.

        “You knew a guy like Ray belonged in baseball,” Bowden said. “Ray was a good baseball man. He may have had problems as a manager, but that didn't mean he couldn't be a valuable asset as a coach.”

        But before the 2001 season, Knight's health became an issue. He began experiencing back pain which had gotten so bad that a couple of times his left leg went numb.

        So with one year remaining on his ESPN contract, Knight and the company mutually agreed to sever the relationship and Knight had surgery.

        “I couldn't do (physically) what I needed to do,” he said.

        Knight spent the next four months recovering.

        He returned to the broadcast booth briefly, covering the College World Series for CBS. Knight also made a couple of trips to Cincinnati, and each time he and Bowden would talk.

        In October, Knight was called by Reds manager Bob Boone. The team had fired coaches Ron Oester and Bill Doran and was looking to fill the positions.

        For the first time since 1997, Knight was interested in working in baseball.

        Knight and Boone talked for several hours about the state of the Reds.

        Knight asked Boone what kind of role he would play in the organization. What Boone needed, Knight said, was a baseball guy. The game didn't seem as fun to Boone as it had in the past.

        “There wasn't that passion,” Knight said. “But we'll sit around and talk baseball for an hour or two, because we love it. He knows he has a coaching staff that shares his passion and wants to do things correctly.”

        About one week later, Knight and Boone met in Atlanta to talk more about the team.

        But the Reds weren't the only major-league team pursuing Knight. He also talked to the Atlanta Braves because of their proximity to his home.

        Knight opted for the Reds and a reunion with Boone, with whom he coached on manager Davey Johnson's staff in 1994.

        “He's got great knowledge,” Boone said of Knight. “He's been a manager, and he's got a feel for what I go through. He'll be a great help.”

        Knight is one of two new coaches on the Reds' staff. Jim Lefebvre, also a former manager, was hired as hitting coach.

        After a tour of duty in the limelight as Reds manager, Knight said he plans to stay in the shadows this time.

        Now, Knight said, he can be a part of the program as opposed to the person who puts everything together. He can assist Boone but doesn't have to answer media questions or make decisions that affect the lives of players, such as whether to send them to the minors.

        “That was the hardest part,” Knight said of his managerial duties.

        Knight said his latest career move is not part of a plan to become a manager again.

        “I have no interest in becoming a manager,” he said. “I got a taste of it and didn't like it.”

        John Fay, who covers the Reds for the Enquirer, is on vacation.

Knight content as coach Baseball notebook

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