Former UF women's track/cross country coach Lyle Knudson passed away April 13. (File photo)
Former UF women's track coach Lyle Knudson Left His Mark
Friday, May 12, 2017 | General, Track and Field, Scott Carter
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Knudson was the first coach in the program's history able to build sustained success.
By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Lyle Knudson was unique until the very end.
The 75-year-old Knudson, Florida's women's track/cross country head coach from 1982-87, died of natural causes on April 13 in Colorado.
Knudson wasn't your do-everything-by-the-book type of coach. Nevertheless, he got results, the first women's coach in program history to build any type of sustained success in the Southeastern Conference.
Florida placed second three times at the SEC Indoor Championships under Knudson and never finished below fourth at the SEC Outdoor Finals. Under his direction, 30 Gators earned All-America honors and the Gators finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Outdoor Finals three times (1982, '84, '86) during his six-year stint.
Still, perhaps Knudson's greatest accomplishment at UF was providing a graduate assistant named Mike Holloway an opportunity to work with the program in the 1980s.
Holloway has built the UF men's and women's programs into national championship contenders annually.
"Lyle was a dear friend and an inspiration to many in the sport,'' Holloway said. "He was an innovator who constantly challenged others to think outside the box. I am eternally grateful to Lyle for not only sharing his philosophies with me, but also for seeing something in me and challenging me to cultivate my talents."
Lyle Knudson. (Photo via his Facebook page).
Knudson was born in Manning, Iowa, on Oct. 23, 1941. He ran cross country at the University of Northern Iowa, where he received his undergraduate degree, and later earned a master's degree from the University of Colorado and a doctorate in mechanical kinesiology and sports medicine from Northern Colorado University.
While at Florida, Knudson served on the U.S. Olympic Committee's Biomechanics Advisory Panel and was a prominent figure in track and field, detailed in this feature story by Runner's World in 2009.
Knudson used training methods that were not favored by most in the track and field world, which led to a change of direction later in life. Knudson settled several years ago in Frisco, Colo., and continued to work as a private coach, track and field writer and outdoor enthusiast.
He was working as a ski instructor at the Copper Mountain (Colo.) Ski Resort up until his death.
Former UF assistant track coach Scott Irving, who coached the discus, shot put and javelin throwers under Knudson, recalls Knudson as a visionary in the sport and committed to his craft like few others.
"For Lyle, it was more about the journey, not the end result," Irving said. "[He] was a tireless worker, consumed with achieving excellence at the highest possible levels. But he gave credit where credit was due and often reminded me in Colorado when I saw him skiing at Copper Mountain that we had the best coaching staff in the country, between him, Mike (sprints-hurdles) and myself (throws)."
Knudson had coached at Colorado, Colorado State and Utah State before coming to UF. His tenure at Florida ended over a disagreement about the direction of the program according to news reports from the time.
After UF, Knudson returned home to Colorado and took a job as a biomechanics professor at the University of Denver while remaining active in the sport as a private coach. He lived an active life until the day he died.
"He was so very proud of our achievements, proud of the women he coached and proud to be a Gator,'' Irving said. "Despite the odds, he quite literally put collegiate women's track and field/cross country on map in Gainesville."
