Beloit College

Head Basketball Coach 1957-1997, AHH 2003   Frank McClellan has asked me to contribute from a historical perspective my experience at Beloit College as “Coach”.  I am so pleased to do so and even though it was long ago it does seem like yesterday.    First, I must go on record as saying I was the most fortunate person ever (as a young coach) to be offered the position head Basketball Coach and being a part of Beloit College’s Division 3 Athletic program. It was not only exciting but as it turned out it was the beginning of my 40 year tenure at Beloit College. Basketball had been my life and to have a position in a school noted for not only academics but basketball was daunting. Little did I know it was my present and my future in the sport.   Joan and I came to Beloit and Beloit Collage as newlyweds...we had been married 2 months and all was new.  As a young coach following Dolph Stanley the position offered to me was quite intimidating to say the least. Newlywed or not I got down to business. My first meeting with the team was inspiring. When I met the young men who played for Dolph I was impressed with their dedication and love of the game and their support of me... a new young coach. It was a good beginning.    Years of success emotionally and professionally and wonderful events, accomplishment and honors that followed speak for themselves. I remember them fondly and gives me a sense of pride. We loved Beloit College, basketball, and our players during my time.  From that day until today I continue to love the sport, the college and the players.   My philosophy is that any game of sport.... but especially basketball teaches competition, cements relationships we cherish throughout our lives, and develops teamwork. Lessons learned, goals accomplished and experience as a team player help in all levels throughout life’s challenges.     I have had the distinct pleasure of keeping in touch with and being touched by past players. That forms tears to my eyes when they say how basketball at Beloit College made them the  people they are.  It is rewarding to me and humbles me deeply.     Know I am honored to have been a part of the legacy of Beloit College Basketball. It was my complete privilege to have led and found a way to enable the college to attract young athletes to participate and compete in a great system with integrity, praise and success.

William "Bill" Knapton 

• Class
• Induction: 2003
• Sport(s): Coach, Administrator

Little did Buccaneer basketball fans dream that the hiring of Bill Knapton as men’s basketball coach in 1957 would find them witnessing the crafting of a living legend. He arrived on campus with impressive credentials, first as an outstanding athlete at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he captained the basketball and baseball teams and later was named to its Athletic Hall of Honor; next as the coach at Stevens Point (Wis.) High School, where his team won the 1954 state basketball championship and had a two-season record of 42-7, and then as an assistant coach for three years at Marquette University. Over the next four decades, Knapton guided Beloit teams to 31 winning seasons, including 20 in a row, and often out executed more talented opponents with his basketball moxie and intelligence. He compiled a 557-343 record, and his 344 Midwest Conference victories and 10 championships were the best of any coach in the league’s 76-year history. In 1981, the Bucs posted a 24-2 record and were ranked the nation’s No. 1 Division III team for five weeks, with Knapton earning NCAA Midwest regional and conference “Coach of the Year” honors. A creative and committed competitor whose passion for the game and caring for his players were contagious, he later served as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches for two years. At the time of his retirement in 1997, his 557 victories ranked him third among active Division III coaches and fifth all-time. Knapton’s tenure at Beloit included service as athletic director, golf and baseball coach, and assistant in other sports. Bill and his wife Joan have two daughters, two sons, and several grandchildren. They recently moved to The Villages, Florida and continue to enjoy retirement.