Doug Knuth
Year seven of the Doug Knuth era of Nevada Wolf Pack athletics comes on the heels of high success in key sports, a number of facility upgrades, record high community engagement and attendance, and a continuity of head coaches that combines to form high hopes as the Wolf Pack enters the 2019-20 athletics season.
Knuth became Nevada’s eighth director of athletics in April of 2013. As special assistant to the president and director of athletics, he brings more than 25 years of professional experience and achievement in athletics administration.
In six previous seasons, Knuth has guided significant achievement in the department’s academic successes, investment in facilities and resources and led the department to multiple team championships as a member of the Mountain West Conference.
Prior to Nevada, Knuth spent the previous eight years at the University of Utah as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations. He led Utah to record fundraising in each of the last seven years. He led the Utes’ fundraising, marketing and ticketing efforts and oversaw the corporate partner program and athletics licensing/merchandising. He was also the primary liaison to University Development and Advancement. Knuth served as a member of Utah’s senior staff, participating in strategic planning, objectives and goals and policies and procedures in addition to administrative oversight over the sports of women’s basketball and men’s and women’s tennis.
He successfully launched a $150 million comprehensive athletics campaign and doubled the Utes’ annual fund in five years. Knuth also took a leadership role in the strategic planning process of Utah’s $1.2 billion university capital campaign.
Prior to Utah, Knuth served as the assistant athletics director for development at Michigan State for five years and was responsible for the annual giving program. He also managed major gifts associated with the expansion of Spartan Stadium through suite and club seats sales.
He started his career in athletics administration and fundraising at the University of Connecticut and also spent time at the University of Massachusetts and Ohio University. Knuth earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Connecticut in 1994 where he was also a four-year letter winner and captain on the men’s tennis team.
He holds master’s degrees in sports administration and facility management from Ohio University (1998) and business administration from Northwood University (2002). A native of Fairfield, Conn., Knuth and his wife, Marci, married in 2019 and their family shares five children.
