Knotts to Leave Indy

http://www.nchsfootball.com/articles/article.asp?ID=3262

 

Where are all the top notch recruits gonna transfer to now?

 

Knotts leaving Independence for Duke
February 24, 2004, 09:56 PM
By LANGSTON WERTZ JR., Special Correspondent
North Carolina iHigh

CHARLOTTE -- Independence High football coach Tom Knotts has always wanted to try his hand at coaching in college.

It took him more than 20 years, but this week Knotts will get his shot.

He'll be introduced Wednesday as Duke's quarterbacks coach, Duke athletics director Joe Alleva said.

A Duke graduate, Knotts declined comment about his new position, but said in a recent interview that college coaching was definitely in his blood.

"Before I'm done, I'd love to try to coach in college," he said in December. "I just want to see if what I did here that worked would work up there."

Knotts led Independence to a state record 62 game winning streak and a record four straight class 4A championships. He was named national coach of the year by Student Sports magazine and Riddell Athletics. He ends his high school career with five state championships and an overall record of 228-55 in 21 seasons.

Since 1998, Knotts was 84-4 and he's coached in eight of the past 16 state championship games in his classification.

Replacing Knotts at Independence will be a tough task. The Patriots need to move quickly but with the bulk of last year's state championship team returning, may not want to bring in a new coach with a radically different style from Knotts' wide-open, pass-first approach.

Patriots officials say to expect a decision quickly on Knotts replacement. Sources close to the program say defensive coordinator Bill Geiler will act as interim coach for the time being. Geiler was Knotts' top assistant for 20 years.

 

Knotts heads for Duke, Mecklenburg's most successful coach to be assistant at alma mater
By RON GREEN JR., Staff Writer, Charlotte Observer

After leading Charlotte's Independence High to four straight state football championships, coach Tom Knotts has resigned to accept the position of quarterbacks coach at Duke, his alma mater.

Duke athletics director Joe Alleva confirmed Knotts' hiring Tuesday and said an official announcement would be made today in Durham.

Knotts declined comment when asked about joining the staff of new Duke football coach Ted Roof.

Vicki Hamilton, athletics director for Charlotte-Mecklenburg, said, "It's a tremendous and rewarding move for Tom Knotts."

Knotts, 47, leaves Independence after building it into a national high school football power. The Patriots have won a state-record 62 consecutive games while becoming the first Mecklenburg County team to win four straight state championships.

In 21 seasons as a high school head coach in the Charlotte area, Knotts compiled a record of 228-55.

Knotts is considered an exceptional offensive coach whose teams have been characterized by highly developed passing games and solid running games.

While playing under Knotts, quarterback Chris Leak set the all-time national high school record for career touchdown passes (185). Leak was later named national player of the year by several organizations and became Florida's starting quarterback as a freshman last fall.

Knotts, who worked as a graduate assistant at Duke in 1980, began his head coaching career at Harding in 1983. After six seasons there, he moved to West Charlotte, where he led the Lions to six one-loss seasons and a state championship.

At Independence, Knotts lost the second game he coached in 2001 and didn't lose again.

 

hmm...that is pretty much what Spurrier said when he left Florida for the NFL. I hope Knotts is not met with the same results. I think it will be good for him to get his feet wet in the QB coach role before moving up the ranks.

There are a few really nice articles in the Charlotte paper today:

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/high_school/8033755.htm

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/high_school/8033807.htm

as a former player, i wish him nothing but the best of luck. this is a great opportunity to take his skills to the next level. he probably could have done it a long time ago, but i guess there were things left for him to accomplish on the HS level.

lastly, i am pulling for Geiler to get the head job over there. He knows how to motivate his players and holds their respect. He has leaned a great deal over the years. I am not sure if he wants the job, but if he does, i think he deserves the opportunity.

 

I've said for the last year that Knotts would end up at Duke, and there you go.