A veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks for more than two decades, John Knauer recently completed his 14th season as head men’s golf coach at UTSA.
In his 14 years at UTSA, Knauer has guided the Roadrunners to five tournament titles, 38 top-five showings, 109 top-10 finishes, 13 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. The program also has received 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.
UTSA advanced to the C-USA Championship Match for the second time in the last three conference tournaments in 2022, dropping a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to Charlotte in Texarkana. That runner-up finish was one of four top-five showings for the Roadrunners in 2021-22, as they captured the Lone Star Invitational crown, finished second at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate and tied for fourth at the Bentwater Intercollegiate.
Michael Rome earned third-team all-conference accolades following the season, while Rome and Hunter Bott were named to the C-USA All-Tournament Team for placing in the top-five at the championship.
Knauer guided 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.
Individually, Chad Sewell was named first-team All-Conference USA and Christian Fanfelle earned second-team accolades. Additionally, Hunter Bott, Collin Clark, Fanfelle and Sewell were named Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars.
Knauer led UTSA to six top-10 finishes, including a pair of top fives, during the 2019-20 campaign, which was cut short in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UTSA registered back-to-back top-five showings in the spring before the season ended, tying for fifth place at the All-American Intercollegiate and sharing fourth at the Border Olympics. The Roadrunners placed sixth at their annual home tournament, the Lone Star Invitational, and registered ninth-place showings at both the Trinity Forest Invitational and Maridoe Intercollegiate in the fall.
Fanfelle earned third-team All-Conference USA honors and he joined Will Adams, Clark and Sewell as Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars.
Knauer guided the Roadrunners to six top-five team finishes in 2018-19, including the team title at the Lone Star Invitational and five straight top fives to end the campaign. UTSA posted a 2-over-par 578 (289-289) to win their annual home tournament behind individual co-medalist Sean Meehan, who fired a 4-under 140 (68-72).
The Roadrunners closed the spring season by finishing third at the Louisiana Classics, fifth at the Border Olympics and third at the Lake Charles Invitational before back-to-back runner-up showings. Clark captured individual medalist honors with a 5-under 211 (70-68-73) to lead the Roadrunners to second at the Bayou City Collegiate Classic. Meehan tied for runner-up honors with a 4-under 212 (69-71-72), as UTSA finished atop the team standings after stroke play at the Conference USA Championship. The Roadrunners ousted UAB in the match play semifinal round before falling to Middle Tennessee in the championship match, marking the best league finish in program history.
Meehan collected second-team all-conference accolades, while Fanfelle was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team to become the fourth Roadrunner in the past six years to earn a spot on that squad. Clark was named 2018-19 C-USA Men's Golf co-Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar accolades.
In 2017-18, Knauer guided UTSA to five top-five team finishes, including capturing the Wyoming Cowboy Classic title with a 22-under-par 842, which is tied for the second-best 54-hole scorecard in program history. Meehan claimed individual medalist honors at that tournament with a 9-under 205 (70-67-68), a score which is tied for third in school annals.
Zander Lozano earned his second straight NCAA postseason berth, a program first, and tied for 55th at the Bryan Regional. Lozano, who finished his career with a school-record 25 sub-70 rounds and 15 top-10 finishes, was named first-team All-Conference USA and Michael Rome was voted to the league's All-Freshman Team.
Knauer led the Roadrunners to nine top-10 finishes, including three top fives, during the 2016-17 campaign. UTSA finished second at Price's "Give 'Em Five" Invitational and third at the Border Olympics. Individually, Lozano earned second-team All-Conference USA accolades and tied for 24th at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional to mark the highest NCAA postseason individual finish in program history. UTSA garnered Golf Coaches Association of America All-Academic Team honors for a 3.0-or-better GPA.
Knauer guided UTSA to four top-five finishes in 2015-16, capped by a fourth-place effort at the Conference USA Championship, which sent the Roadrunners to the semifinal round of the league's match play event. UTSA also turned in a trio of fifth-place showings, including carding a 1-over-par 853 at the Sam H. Hall Intercollegiate. Additionally, Brett Hogan garnered Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar accolades following his senior season.
In 2014-15, Knauer led UTSA to four top-five finishes, including a record-setting performance at Price’s “Give ‘Em Five” Invitational. The Roadrunners broke four school records — low round (267), low 54-hole total (836), low 36-hole total to par (135, Bryce Alley) and low 54-hole total to par (205, Brett Hogan) — en route to a fifth-place showing. The Birds were second at both the UTSA Oak Hills Invitational and Miramont Invitational. Individually, Lozano was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.
In Knauer's sixth year at the helm in 2013-14, UTSA registered a pair of top fives, including claiming its second straight Rice Intercollegiate title with an 875. The Birds also were fifth at the Border Olympics. Alley was named to C-USA’s All-Freshman Team in the program’s first year in the league.
In 2012-13, Knauer led UTSA to eight top-10 finishes and the program’s first team championship in 10 years when the Roadrunners captured the 2013 Rice Intercollegiate with a two-under-par 862. The team posted three top fives during the spring, including a fourth-place showing at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship. Additionally, Taylor Koser and Reed Stegall were named WAC All-Academic.
A native of College Station, Texas, Knauer mentored the Roadrunners to six top-10 finishes during the 2011-12 campaign. Ryan Werre garnered second-team All-Southland Conference accolades after recording three top 10s, including tying for fourth at the Rice Intercollegiate and seventh at the league championship. Additionally, Tyler Koser collected Southland All-Academic honors.
Knauer led UTSA to four top-10 showings, including a fifth-place effort at the Kauai Collegiate Invitational and a seventh-place finish at the Southland Championship, in 2010-11. Werre, who posted three top-10 finishes during the year, including tying for third at the Southland Championship, earned third-team all-conference honors to go along with being tabbed the circuit’s freshman of the year, while Lewis Chong, who was ninth at the conference tournament, was an honorable mention all-league pick.
In 2009-10, Knauer led a young squad to three top-10 finishes, which included a season-best seventh-place showing at the Southland Championship. He mentored Emiliano Martinez and Nicko Dodd to honorable mention all-conference accolades.
In his first season, Knauer guided the Roadrunners to four top-10 finishes, including a pair of top-five showings. His squad recorded its best outing of the year with a fourth-place effort at the Southland Championship. Meanwhile, Kyle Collins earned second-team all-conference accolades after finishing fourth at the league tournament.
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. During his tenure, he was in charge of recruiting and the junior varsity program.
While in Tucson, Knauer was well known for his recruiting, which made Arizona one of the top programs in the country. The Wildcats were ranked as high as second in the country and ended the season in the top 10 five times during his tenure. 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.
Meanwhile, Arizona golfers earned 29 All-Pac-10 honors, 36 all-academic accolades, 16 All-America certificates, two Pac-10 Player of the Year awards and three Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors.
Under Knauer’s direction, the junior varsity program recorded 27 top-10 finishes and three team titles against NCAA Division I opponents in seven seasons.
Prior to Arizona, Knauer got his start as a volunteer assistant coach at Texas A&M in 1995, then was promoted the following year to men’s and women’s assistant coach. During the 1997-98 season, Knauer was the assistant coach for the men’s program, where helped the Aggies win a regional in 1998.
Knauer was a high school standout at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station. He was a four-year letterwinner who earned first-team all-region and all-district accolades. Knauer was part of the 1990 team that finished third at the state tournament.
Knauer graduated from Texas A&M in 1995 with a degree in sport management.
He currently resides in San Antonio with his wife, Jennifer, and two daughters, Ellen Marie and Paige Joy.
In his 14 years at UTSA, Knauer has guided the Roadrunners to five tournament titles, 38 top-five showings, 109 top-10 finishes, 13 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. The program also has received 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.
UTSA advanced to the C-USA Championship Match for the second time in the last three conference tournaments in 2022, dropping a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to Charlotte in Texarkana. That runner-up finish was one of four top-five showings for the Roadrunners in 2021-22, as they captured the Lone Star Invitational crown, finished second at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate and tied for fourth at the Bentwater Intercollegiate.
Michael Rome earned third-team all-conference accolades following the season, while Rome and Hunter Bott were named to the C-USA All-Tournament Team for placing in the top-five at the championship.
Knauer guided 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.
Individually, Chad Sewell was named first-team All-Conference USA and Christian Fanfelle earned second-team accolades. Additionally, Hunter Bott, Collin Clark, Fanfelle and Sewell were named Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars.
Knauer led UTSA to six top-10 finishes, including a pair of top fives, during the 2019-20 campaign, which was cut short in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UTSA registered back-to-back top-five showings in the spring before the season ended, tying for fifth place at the All-American Intercollegiate and sharing fourth at the Border Olympics. The Roadrunners placed sixth at their annual home tournament, the Lone Star Invitational, and registered ninth-place showings at both the Trinity Forest Invitational and Maridoe Intercollegiate in the fall.
Fanfelle earned third-team All-Conference USA honors and he joined Will Adams, Clark and Sewell as Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars.
Knauer guided the Roadrunners to six top-five team finishes in 2018-19, including the team title at the Lone Star Invitational and five straight top fives to end the campaign. UTSA posted a 2-over-par 578 (289-289) to win their annual home tournament behind individual co-medalist Sean Meehan, who fired a 4-under 140 (68-72).
The Roadrunners closed the spring season by finishing third at the Louisiana Classics, fifth at the Border Olympics and third at the Lake Charles Invitational before back-to-back runner-up showings. Clark captured individual medalist honors with a 5-under 211 (70-68-73) to lead the Roadrunners to second at the Bayou City Collegiate Classic. Meehan tied for runner-up honors with a 4-under 212 (69-71-72), as UTSA finished atop the team standings after stroke play at the Conference USA Championship. The Roadrunners ousted UAB in the match play semifinal round before falling to Middle Tennessee in the championship match, marking the best league finish in program history.
Meehan collected second-team all-conference accolades, while Fanfelle was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team to become the fourth Roadrunner in the past six years to earn a spot on that squad. Clark was named 2018-19 C-USA Men's Golf co-Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar accolades.
In 2017-18, Knauer guided UTSA to five top-five team finishes, including capturing the Wyoming Cowboy Classic title with a 22-under-par 842, which is tied for the second-best 54-hole scorecard in program history. Meehan claimed individual medalist honors at that tournament with a 9-under 205 (70-67-68), a score which is tied for third in school annals.
Zander Lozano earned his second straight NCAA postseason berth, a program first, and tied for 55th at the Bryan Regional. Lozano, who finished his career with a school-record 25 sub-70 rounds and 15 top-10 finishes, was named first-team All-Conference USA and Michael Rome was voted to the league's All-Freshman Team.
Knauer led the Roadrunners to nine top-10 finishes, including three top fives, during the 2016-17 campaign. UTSA finished second at Price's "Give 'Em Five" Invitational and third at the Border Olympics. Individually, Lozano earned second-team All-Conference USA accolades and tied for 24th at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional to mark the highest NCAA postseason individual finish in program history. UTSA garnered Golf Coaches Association of America All-Academic Team honors for a 3.0-or-better GPA.
Knauer guided UTSA to four top-five finishes in 2015-16, capped by a fourth-place effort at the Conference USA Championship, which sent the Roadrunners to the semifinal round of the league's match play event. UTSA also turned in a trio of fifth-place showings, including carding a 1-over-par 853 at the Sam H. Hall Intercollegiate. Additionally, Brett Hogan garnered Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar accolades following his senior season.
In 2014-15, Knauer led UTSA to four top-five finishes, including a record-setting performance at Price’s “Give ‘Em Five” Invitational. The Roadrunners broke four school records — low round (267), low 54-hole total (836), low 36-hole total to par (135, Bryce Alley) and low 54-hole total to par (205, Brett Hogan) — en route to a fifth-place showing. The Birds were second at both the UTSA Oak Hills Invitational and Miramont Invitational. Individually, Lozano was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.
In Knauer's sixth year at the helm in 2013-14, UTSA registered a pair of top fives, including claiming its second straight Rice Intercollegiate title with an 875. The Birds also were fifth at the Border Olympics. Alley was named to C-USA’s All-Freshman Team in the program’s first year in the league.
In 2012-13, Knauer led UTSA to eight top-10 finishes and the program’s first team championship in 10 years when the Roadrunners captured the 2013 Rice Intercollegiate with a two-under-par 862. The team posted three top fives during the spring, including a fourth-place showing at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship. Additionally, Taylor Koser and Reed Stegall were named WAC All-Academic.
A native of College Station, Texas, Knauer mentored the Roadrunners to six top-10 finishes during the 2011-12 campaign. Ryan Werre garnered second-team All-Southland Conference accolades after recording three top 10s, including tying for fourth at the Rice Intercollegiate and seventh at the league championship. Additionally, Tyler Koser collected Southland All-Academic honors.
Knauer led UTSA to four top-10 showings, including a fifth-place effort at the Kauai Collegiate Invitational and a seventh-place finish at the Southland Championship, in 2010-11. Werre, who posted three top-10 finishes during the year, including tying for third at the Southland Championship, earned third-team all-conference honors to go along with being tabbed the circuit’s freshman of the year, while Lewis Chong, who was ninth at the conference tournament, was an honorable mention all-league pick.
In 2009-10, Knauer led a young squad to three top-10 finishes, which included a season-best seventh-place showing at the Southland Championship. He mentored Emiliano Martinez and Nicko Dodd to honorable mention all-conference accolades.
In his first season, Knauer guided the Roadrunners to four top-10 finishes, including a pair of top-five showings. His squad recorded its best outing of the year with a fourth-place effort at the Southland Championship. Meanwhile, Kyle Collins earned second-team all-conference accolades after finishing fourth at the league tournament.
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. During his tenure, he was in charge of recruiting and the junior varsity program.
While in Tucson, Knauer was well known for his recruiting, which made Arizona one of the top programs in the country. The Wildcats were ranked as high as second in the country and ended the season in the top 10 five times during his tenure. 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.
Meanwhile, Arizona golfers earned 29 All-Pac-10 honors, 36 all-academic accolades, 16 All-America certificates, two Pac-10 Player of the Year awards and three Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors.
Under Knauer’s direction, the junior varsity program recorded 27 top-10 finishes and three team titles against NCAA Division I opponents in seven seasons.
Prior to Arizona, Knauer got his start as a volunteer assistant coach at Texas A&M in 1995, then was promoted the following year to men’s and women’s assistant coach. During the 1997-98 season, Knauer was the assistant coach for the men’s program, where helped the Aggies win a regional in 1998.
Knauer was a high school standout at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station. He was a four-year letterwinner who earned first-team all-region and all-district accolades. Knauer was part of the 1990 team that finished third at the state tournament.
Knauer graduated from Texas A&M in 1995 with a degree in sport management.
He currently resides in San Antonio with his wife, Jennifer, and two daughters, Ellen Marie and Paige Joy.
The Knauer File
Hometown: College Station, Texas
Birthdate: Nov. 26, 1971
Education: Texas A&M, 1995
Coaching Experience
2008-present: UTSA, head coach
1998-2008: Arizona, assistant coach
1997-98: Texas A&M, assistant men’s coach
1996-97: Texas A&M, assistant men’s & women’s coach
1995-96: Texas A&M, volunteer coach
UTSA Highlights
• 5 tournament titles
• 38 top-five finishes
• 109 top-10 finishes
• 1 NCAA team postseason appearance
• 2 NCAA individual postseason appearances
• 13 all-conference selections
• 1 conference freshman of the year
• 4 freshman all-conference performers
• 3 academic all-conference selections
• 13 All-America scholars
• 7 GCAA All-Academic Team awards
• 4 NCAA Public Recognition Awards
Coaching Highlights
• 2006 National Assistant Coach of the Year
• 4 NCAA top-10 finishes
• 11 NCAA Championship appearances
• 3 NCAA Regional Championships
• 1 conference title
• 22 tournament crowns
• 21 individual medalists
• 18 All-Americans
• 2 conference players of the year
• 3 conference freshmen of the year
• 42 all-conference selections
• 39 conference all-academic honorees