Skip to main content

The Official Website of the Golf Coaches Association of America

 
   

JR

 

 

 

Posted Friday, May 26, 2006

 

Arizona Assistant Named Recipient of Jan Strickland Award


Knauer tabbed as assistant coach of the year

 

NORMAN, Okla. ?

John Knauer of Arizona has been named the recipient of the 2006 Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year Award presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf announced the Golf Coaches Association of America.

 

Knauer is in his eighth season as assistant men?s golf coach at Arizona. Primarily responsible for recruiting, he is known around the country as an outstanding recruiter and brings a great deal of enthusiasm and expertise to the Wildcat program. With more than 10 years of experience as a Division I assistant, Knauer has been a part of two teams that have captured NCAA Regional championships and has advanced to the NCAA Championships 10 times. He was a part of the Texas A&M staff that won the NCAA Central Regional in 1996 and the Arizona staff that won the 2000 NCAA West Regional and tied for first at the West Regional this season. Since joining the UA staff in the fall of 1998, Knauer?s efforts have helped the Wildcats win 15 tournaments and advance to seven NCAA Championships. Knauer was also instrumental in helping Arizona win the 2004 Pac-10 Championship, the program?s first since 1991. In the last seven years, 16 UA golfers have earned All-America accolades and 25 players were named all-Pac-10 Conference.

 

"It?s always awesome to honored by your peers," said Knauer. "This award is selected by a committee of coaches that do the same job us you each day. After I won, I told the team and Coach (Rick) LaRose thank you. Coach LaRose lets me do a lot of things other assistants don?t get to do as far as coaching and recruiting. Also, I want to thank the team for their play on the course, commitment in the classroom and how they conduct themselves off the course. A piece of this is theirs as well."

 

The Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year Award presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf is given to the NCAA Division I, II, III or NAIA assistant coach that, among other things, has excelled in working with their student-athletes both on the course and in the classroom. The recipient of this award will have the opportunity to further their professional development by being a guest of TaylorMade-adidas Golf at the PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit as well as an invitation to the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Kingdom in Carlsbad, Calif.