Legendary Hall of Fame Coach Kurt Knisley Passes Away
Coach Kurt Knisely passed away on Saturday at 80 years old. Georgia Tech Lacrosse and the Georgia Lacrosse community owes Coach Knisely a great debt for his pioneering effort, love of the sport, and effort to always support his players on and off the field. Coach Knisely began his lacrosse career and Uniondale High School on Long Island, New York and credited his High School coach for challenging and inspiring him to change his life for the good. Coach Knisely in addition to his strong love of his family and his successful career decided to give back to the sport he loved through coaching. However Coach Knisely was much more than a coach, he was an unbelievable promotor and developer of the sport in Georgia.
In 1972 he took over the fledgling Georgia Tech Lacrosse Club which had played only 3 games the year before, with one win and 2 losses, one a 16-2 loss to Vanderbilt. Coaching with his brother in law Lee Bourney he established guiding themes which drive Georgia Tech Lacrosse today. "I am coaching a Team, the Club exists to drive the business to support a Team on the field". In short order everything began to grow and improve, a 4-2 winning record including a close 9-7 loss to Vanderbilt served notice the team was on the rise.
In the next few years the team grew with a more ambitious schedule which included some varsity play and scrimmages, Duke and Hobart in Atlanta. Coach Knisely helped to organize the Atlanta Lacrosse Club (ALC) for post collegiate players in Atlanta. "Plus Tech would have some outstanding college players to practice against". Many of these early ALC players went on to create High School Lacrosse in Georgia.
Incredibly Coach Knisely both arranged for a Georgia Tech Vs ALC Lacrosse exhibition at an Atlanta Falcons game before 50,000 fans in 1973 and the annual, (at the time), Lacrosse North-South College All Star game in Atlanta at DeKalb Junior College in 1974.
All in Four years! After the 1974 Season Coach Knisely moved to a farm outside of Athens Georgia where he went on to form the Lacrosse Club at the University of Georgia.
Coach Knisely is a member of the USLacrosse Atlanta Chapter Hall of Fame and the Georgia Tech Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Thank you Coach Knisely for your love and support for the game and unbounded dedication to your players.
There will be a viewing will be this Friday January 21 evening from 6:00-8:00 at the Lord and Steven's funeral home and the funeral will be at 11:00 this Saturday January 22 at the Saint Philothea Greek Orthodox Church. Both have a Watkinsville, GA address.s.
