NACDA Release
TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Director of Athletics
Jim Knowlton has been selected as an Under Armor AD of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). He is the Division III northeast recipient.
“It is a tremendous honor that I am extremely appreciative of receiving,” said Knowlton, who was named Rensselaer's athletic director in December 2007. “There are so many others who deserve such recognition that I accept this humbly.”
NACDA has four geographic regions - northeast, southeast, central and west; while the membership is separated into seven categories - Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A); Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA); Division I (formerly Division I-AAA); Division II; Division III; NAIA; and Junior/Community Colleges. One winner was selected in each of the seven categories, for a total of 28 honorees.
Knowlton and the other winners will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Saturday at NACDA's 46th Annual Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.
Knowlton is responsible for overseeing the Institute's 12 men's and 11 women's NCAA intercollegiate varsity teams and three junior varsity squads, involving more than 600 student-athletes, as well as intramurals.
In his time in Troy, Knowlton has implemented a new athletics branding initiative, improved two-way communication with the student-athletes, increased revenue generation and fundraising, including the first-ever endowed head coaching position. He has also created and filled several numerous administrative and coaching positions, and facilitated renovations to the Houston Field House as well as the completion of the first phase of Rensselaer's $104 million East Campus Athletic Village, which features a 5,200 seat stadium and adjoining arena. He continues to work with the Institute's President and other administrators on planning for the future, which includes additional construction and other key programs.
Athletically, the department has also enjoyed a great deal of success.
During 2008-09, his first full year with the Engineers, five teams won Liberty League Championships, two captured ECAC titles and three teams qualified for the NCAA playoffs. Individually, five student-athletes qualified for National Meets. Rensselaer, which increased by nearly 80 spots in the NACDA Director's Cup, had five National All-Americans and four National Academic All-Americans.
In 2009-10, four teams went to the NCAAs, including women's cross country for the first time ever, and men's soccer and men's lacrosse, both of which advanced to the second round. Six student-athletes were named Player of the Year in their respective sports and 11 were named Rookie of the Year. There were five National All-Americans and six National Academic All-Americans.
This season, the men's hockey team returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995, 10 student-athletes were National All-Americans and two have earned National Academic All-America recognition.
Prior to joining Rensselaer, Knowlton served as the director of the Center for Enhanced Performance at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. In that position, he led a staff of 50 professionals who deliver training for peak performance in athletics, academics, and military endeavors to cadets, soldiers, and athletes both on and off the West Point campus.
He also served as chair of the NCAA Hockey Rules Committee, where he led a diverse group of Division I and III men's and women's coaches and administrators during the annual rule-development process.
From 2003 to 2006 Knowlton served as both deputy and interim director for the athletics department at West Point, where he led a staff of more than 200 people and supervised 25 intercollegiate athletic programs with more than 1,000 student-athletes. During his tenure, West Point set the stage to earn its first NCAA National Championship in more than 50 years.
Knowlton, who is married with five sons, received a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1982 from West Point, where he was a four-year letterwinner and captain of the varsity hockey team. After 10 years of organizational leadership positions of increasing responsibility in the U.S. Army, Knowlton received a master's in civil engineering from Cornell University.
Knowlton returned to West Point in 1992 to teach in the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department, after which he was selected to lead and manage larger and more complex organizations within the Army, ultimately leading a battalion of 750 men and women while stationed at Ft. Carson, Colo., before deploying to Iraq en route to West Point.
Knowlton is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Virginia. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Ranger Tab, the Air Assault Badge, and the Senior Parachutist Badge.
