Patrick Knapp begins his first year with the University of Hawai‘i women’s basketball program as an assistant coach under head coach Dana Takahara-Dias. Knapp comes to UH after having served five seasons as head coach for the University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team.
Knapp joins UH with 341 career wins in 26 years as a head coach. He has also made two NCAA Tournament and four Women’s National Invitation Tournament appearances along with two Big East Conference championship titles. Two of his players have gone on to play in the WNBA, while 15 now play professionally in Europe.
In his five years at Penn, Knapp’s players have set game, season and career program records, and earned All-Ivy and All-Big 5 honors.
Prior to Penn, Knapp spent 18 seasons as head coach for Georgetown. In four of his last six years there, his teams advanced to the WNIT and advanced to post-season play five times. He won at least 17 games six times and 20 games in a single season twice. Under Knapp’s leadership, his teams won two Big East regular season championships. Additionally, Knapp was named the Big East Coach of the Year in 1993.
Knapp made his debut as a collegiate level head coach in 1983 for New Mexico State University. He spent a brief three seasons there, but garnished a winning record of 45-39 to begin his career.
Knapp first began coaching in 1976 at Bishop McDevitt High School in Philadelphia, Pa. and stayed there for five years. In the 1978-79 season, he was named Montgomery County Coach of the Year. In 1980, he took broke into the collegiate level by becoming as an assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame for three seasons.
Knapp is a 1975 graduate of Widener Colleger. He played basketball for the Pioneers and was a team captain in 1974 and 1975. Under his leadership, the team appeared twice in the NCAA Tournament.
Knapp moved to O‘ahu with his wife Maggie. They have two children, Melanie Lynne and Patrick, and one grandchild.
