In Remembrance: William “Bill” Knapton
William Knapton—emeritus athletic director, coach, mentor—died at the age of 96.
Knapton grew up in Bloomer, Wisconsin, where he starred on the football and basketball teams. He joined the U.S. Navy after graduation and played baseball, earning a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs his freshman year at La Crosse State. After playing Class D baseball, he returned to La Crosse, where he was captain of both the basketball and baseball teams.
Knapton’s 345 Midwest Conference victories and 10 championships are the most of any coach in league history. In 1981, his Bucs posted a 24-2 record and were ranked the number one Division III team in the nation for five weeks, earning Knapton NCAA Midwest regional and conference Coach of the Year honors. He was instrumental in his teams’ 11 trips to the NCAA D-III tournament and 10 league titles, and he served on the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee in the 1980s when the three-point shot was introduced.
During his Beloit tenure, he not only coached men’s basketball, but also served as athletic director, golf coach, and baseball coach, and assisted in other sports. In 2003, Beloit College inducted him into the Athletic Hall of Honor. On that occasion, he said, “My philosophy is that any game of sport, but especially basketball, teaches competition, cements relationships that we cherish throughout our lives, and develops teamwork.” Those relationships were in evidence when, in 2022, the Flood Arena basketball and volleyball court was named for him. At that event he was surrounded by several hundred friends, family, and former players.
Longtime Chicago Bulls beat reporter and former player K.C. Johnson’89 recalls that Knapton taught how to be competitive but classy, and to put the team first. Knapton was as creative as he was competitive and would draw plays on restaurant napkins, always brainstorming ways to keep the opposing team guessing. He remained humble despite his accomplishments, and he valued practices more than games because he was a teacher at heart.
“There was no more powerful feeling as a player than entering a game knowing you were more prepared than your opponent,” Johnson says.
Coach Knapton is remembered for preparing his athletes for life, for his unwavering professionalism, and for his kindness on and off the court. He was a lifelong teacher and surrogate father to many, emphasizing teamwork, leadership, and selflessness over wins. His legacy lives on in generations of Beloit athletes. He is survived by his wife Joan, two daughters, two sons, and several grandchildren.
