Bio

University of the District of Columbia Director of Athletics Patricia Thomas announced the appointment of Patrick Knapp as the Associate Director of Athletics for External Relations during the Fall 2010.

A former 30 year Division I basketball coach with a wealth of fundraising experience, Knapp has transformed the UDC Athletics Department in a short time by spearheading the creation of the school's first ever athletics booster club - "Firebirds Forever" - and Athletics Hall of Fame, and launching the school's first ever basketball season ticket package in 2011. Additionally, he has been extremely successful cultivating relationships with local businesses and acquiring sponsorship deals for the department.

Knapp is also heavily involved in coordinating and managing athletics-sponsored events at UDC. He is responsible for organizing the UDC Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner and all alumni and booster club receptions, and he coordinates the UDC Student-Athlete Recognition Luncheon.

Knapp brings 35 years of men’s and women’s basketball coaching experience, including NCAA Division I Head Coaching stints at New Mexico State University, Georgetown University and The University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, he established the first Women's Basketball Sports Board and Fundraising initiative which helped raised a portion of the annual budget at Penn over the course of five years. At Georgetown, women’s basketball won two fundraising awards given by Hoyas Unlimited, the fund raising arm of athletics. His teams at Georgetown earned four WNIT bids from 1998-2003 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 1992-93. That 1992-93 team, which was crowned Big East Regular Season Champions, finished ranked No. 16 in the USA Today poll, and Knapp was named the Big East Coach of the Year.

“Patrick was a successful coach and fund raiser in previous positions.  He possesses a strong work ethic and outstanding ability to develop relationships”, Thomas said.

Knapp graduated from Widener University with a degree in history.  He and his wife Maggie reside in Gaithersburg, Maryland and are proud parents of daughter Melanie, son Patrick and four grandchildren.