Knowles named new SHS FB coach

By ERIC PLUMMER

Sports editor

SANDPOINT — One of the best football players to ever come out of Sandpoint is returning to coach his hometown team, as the Bulldogs named Ryan Knowles as the new head football coach on Wednesday, replacing George Yarno.

Knowles, 39, graduated from Sandpoint in 1996 before starting for four seasons as a defensive end at the University of Idaho. Most recently, Knowles has been an assistant coach at Colgate University in New York, where he’s been the defensive line coach for the past 12 years and the special teams coordinator for the past four.

He’ll be making the move back across the country to take his first head coaching job, and is thrilled to be doing it in the town where he was born and raised.

“It’s everything. I grew up at Barlow Stadium and War Memorial Field, I kind of lived in that locker room with my dad,” remembers Knowles. “It was a way of life.”

Leaving Colgate wasn’t easy, as Knowles led a defensive line unit that ranked second in FCS in sacks last year, and in 2016 led the nation allowing just 69.4 yards per game. More importantly, he was highly respected, as the 12 year stint clearly shows.

In the end, he felt the time was right to move with his wife Megan, daughter Aubrey and son Drew back to his hometown to start another chapter in his life.

“It’s just time. I love it here (Colgate), we won four (Patriot) league championships in my 12 years,” admits Knowles, eager for the opportunity to call all the shots. “I thrive on leadership and influence. I want to be a head coach, and I want to do it in the Northwest. Get guys on board with a mission and a plan.”

Asked to named his coaching influences he cited Nick Holt, who gave Knowles his first college job as a Graduate Assistant at Idaho, and his high school coach, Satini Puailoa, among others. But both run second to his dad John Knowles, who graduated from Sandpoint in 1966 and played football at Idaho as well.

John was a longtime Sandpoint assistant coach at Sandpoint, and was coaching when Puailoa led the Bulldogs to the program’s lone state title in 1997.

“My dad’s No. 1, he’s the reason I coach,” claimed Ryan of John. “His love of the game of football is what set the table for me.”

Ryan Knowles was a four-year starter for the Vandals at defensive end and earned second team All-Big West Conference in 2000, when he led the squad with six sacks. He started 38 games and recorded 150 tackles, including 27 for loss to go with 16 sacks in his career.

Knowles recalls going hard in practice against fellow Sandpoint alum Crosby Tajan while at Idaho, and called it “absolute pandemonium and new heights for Idaho football” when he recalls starting in the Humanitarian Bowl win over Southern Mississippi in 1998 in Boise, the first bowl win ever for the Vandals.

From there he became a Graduate Assistant at Idaho, followed by stints as an assistant at Kentlake High School, Kentridge High School and Central Valley High School, before deciding to take the job at Colgate.

“I love football. I uprooted everything I knew an moved to New York, forged a lifestyle for the love of football,” concedes Knowles. “I’ll be a football coach forever, creating a product that people can be proud of. It’s all about the players and their experience. You win with people, and we need to gather the right people.”

Knowles was captain as a senior at Sandpoint, where the 6-3, 235 pound end terrorized opposing offenses and caught the attention of Idaho and Boise State, among other schools.

Puailoa, who arrived when Knowles was a freshman, says Knowles was the best defensive player in the state as a senior. He feels the program will be in capable hands.

“Ryan doesn’t just like it, he loves every aspect of the game. He likes the weight room, equipment, film study. From my perspective, you have to like everything, and Ryan loves it all,” describes Puailoa. “The best thing about Ryan is he’s so personable, such a positive guy. He’ll be that kind of guy that attracts kids. He’s going to find the good. He’s a guy that’s not going to give up on anybody. He was a great teammate, never bullied or mocked guys, just as good a friend to the guys that were third or fourth string.”

Sandpoint athletic director Kris Knowles, no relation, said Ryan was picked from a strong candidate pool of 15 coaches, including five that were interviewed from Oregon, Texas, Florida, Colorado and New York, and one that was a former Graduate Assistant under Bobby Bowden at Florida State.

Kris Knowles is excited about the hire, knowing candidates with Ryan’s résumé don’t come down the pike very often.

“I think we hit a home run here. Ryan was by far the best candidate, it wasn’t even close. He’ll be a phenomenal coach for us. He understands Sandpoint. He was literally on the ground floor of the weight room (Project 92), sweeping up nails when it was built,” says the athletic director.

“The respect that he has from the place that he’s been for 12 years says a heck of a lot about him. We’ve got a chance to make it really special with him and the staff he’s putting together. High integrity. He’s a no-brainer.”