SAN ANTONIO — UTSA Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lisa Campos on Monday announced that the contract for head men’s golf coach John Knauer has been extended through the 2024 season.
Knauer is in his 14th season at the helm and has guided the Roadrunners to five tournament titles, 36 top-five showings and 102 top-10 finishes, as well as 12 all-conference selections, seven Golf Coaches Association of America All-Academic Team awards, 13 Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar certificates and three league all-academic honorees during his tenure.
“We are really excited to extend John’s contract and we look forward to his continued success leading the men’s golf program,” Campos said. “In addition to guiding the team to an NCAA Regional last season, the program has received numerous academic and athletic honors throughout his tenure and it has risen recently to a consistent top-50 program under his leadership. We’re proud of his mentorship to student-athletes to help them experience success in the classroom, in competition and in life.”
“I am grateful to our leadership for continuing to believe in what we are building as a program, both on and off the course,” Knauer said. “This department is on a rapid rise and we are proud and humbled to be a part of that success and future growth. I couldn’t be happier for what our program has accomplished academically and athletically, and we’re thrilled about carrying the momentum from our first NCAA postseason appearance throughout this season and beyond. The future continues to shine bright for UTSA golf.”
Knauer led UTSA to new heights in 2020-21, as the program was ranked as high as No. 26 nationally by Golfstat and advanced to the NCAA postseason for the first time as a team. The Roadrunners finished in the top five at three tournaments, including a runner-up showing at the Trinity Forest Invitational that propelled them into the top 30 after an eighth-place showing at the Cabo Collegiate at TPC San Antonio ahead of five nationally ranked squads, including then-No. 1 Arizona. UTSA earned an at-large berth to the Kingston Springs Regional and placed 10th in its NCAA postseason debut.
This season, the Roadrunners won the Lone Star Invitational on Sept. 20-21 at TPC San Antonio — the program’s 26th tournament title — after opening the 2021 campaign with a runner-up showing at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate in Louisiana.
Knauer also has led the program to four straight NCAA Public Recognition Awards for posting an Academic Progress Rate among the top 10 percent nationally within the sport, as UTSA has recorded a perfect score of 1,000 during each of the last four reporting periods
The 2006 National Assistant Coach of the Year, Knauer began his coaching career at Texas A&M (1995-98), then moved to Arizona, where he spent 10 years as an assistant under legendary head coach Rick LaRose. The Wildcats won two NCAA West Regional titles (2000 and ’06), advanced to 10 NCAA Championships, captured 19 team championships, including a Pac-10 title, and 19 individual crowns during his time in Tucson.
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Knauer is in his 14th season at the helm and has guided the Roadrunners to five tournament titles, 36 top-five showings and 102 top-10 finishes, as well as 12 all-conference selections, seven Golf Coaches Association of America All-Academic Team awards, 13 Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar certificates and three league all-academic honorees during his tenure.
“We are really excited to extend John’s contract and we look forward to his continued success leading the men’s golf program,” Campos said. “In addition to guiding the team to an NCAA Regional last season, the program has received numerous academic and athletic honors throughout his tenure and it has risen recently to a consistent top-50 program under his leadership. We’re proud of his mentorship to student-athletes to help them experience success in the classroom, in competition and in life.”
“I am grateful to our leadership for continuing to believe in what we are building as a program, both on and off the course,” Knauer said. “This department is on a rapid rise and we are proud and humbled to be a part of that success and future growth. I couldn’t be happier for what our program has accomplished academically and athletically, and we’re thrilled about carrying the momentum from our first NCAA postseason appearance throughout this season and beyond. The future continues to shine bright for UTSA golf.”
Knauer led UTSA to new heights in 2020-21, as the program was ranked as high as No. 26 nationally by Golfstat and advanced to the NCAA postseason for the first time as a team. The Roadrunners finished in the top five at three tournaments, including a runner-up showing at the Trinity Forest Invitational that propelled them into the top 30 after an eighth-place showing at the Cabo Collegiate at TPC San Antonio ahead of five nationally ranked squads, including then-No. 1 Arizona. UTSA earned an at-large berth to the Kingston Springs Regional and placed 10th in its NCAA postseason debut.
This season, the Roadrunners won the Lone Star Invitational on Sept. 20-21 at TPC San Antonio — the program’s 26th tournament title — after opening the 2021 campaign with a runner-up showing at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate in Louisiana.
Knauer also has led the program to four straight NCAA Public Recognition Awards for posting an Academic Progress Rate among the top 10 percent nationally within the sport, as UTSA has recorded a perfect score of 1,000 during each of the last four reporting periods
The 2006 National Assistant Coach of the Year, Knauer began his coaching career at Texas A&M (1995-98), then moved to Arizona, where he spent 10 years as an assistant under legendary head coach Rick LaRose. The Wildcats won two NCAA West Regional titles (2000 and ’06), advanced to 10 NCAA Championships, captured 19 team championships, including a Pac-10 title, and 19 individual crowns during his time in Tucson.
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