Former Lake City, NIC coach to take Sandpoint AD job

SANDPOINT - Boasting experience as both a coach and an administrator, Kris Knowles was named the Assistant Principal for Student Activities at Sandpoint High School this week, officially taking over the position currently held by Tom Albertson in the fall of 2012.

Knowles, 37, will finish out the year in the same position at Bonners Ferry High School, where he has stewarded the Badger athletic program for the past year.

A North Idaho native who was born and raised in Coeur d'Alene, Knowles has been impressed with the Bulldog athletic program, and is eager to become an integral part of it.

"I'm fired up to come down and be a Bulldog," he said on Friday, after officially accepting the position. "I've always understood the tradition of Sandpoint and admired the teams they put out. I thought it (athletic director) would be a great opportunity to jump at."

Prior to his one-year stint as athletic director at Bonners Ferry, Knowles was an assistant men's basketball coach at North Idaho College for two years, and before that he coached boys and girls basketball at Lake City High School for 11 years.

He was the head boys basketball coach at Lake City from 2003-05, and an assistant coach on the Lake City girls 2008 state 5A championship team. He graduated from Coeur d'Alene, where he helped lead the Vikings to three consecutive state tournament appearances under the tutelage of Don Haynes - the father of current Sandpoint boys coach Tyler Haynes.

Part of the allure of the Sandpoint job was being able to work with Albertson and SHS principal Becky Meyer. Knowles is also excited to move his wife and two daughters to Sandpoint and be part of a program he feels is headed in the right direction.

"I'm super, super happy to be in Sandpoint and looking forward to being part of the community," Knowles said. "Tom and Becky have set a foundation for success."

Knowles' background in sports and administration degree made him a viable candidate. He has two masters degrees, which helps in a job that requires not just running the athletic program, but evaluating teachers as well.

"We hired Kris for his expertise in the athletic arena, athletic director experience, professionalism and positive attitude,” Meyer said Friday. “His references were overwhelmingly encouraging, and we expect great things in our activities program at SHS.”

Albertson will finish out the year at his current post, before taking over the duties of Assistant Principal for Student Management and Instruction at SHS, the post formerly held by departed head football coach Mike Mitchell.

Albertson spent four years guiding the Bulldogs athletic program, and admitted feeling mixed emotions about moving on to another position.

“There’s a big part of this job I’m going to miss — the energy that’s around and the student-athletes,” Albertson said. “Watching kids excel in academia, the band and on the field.”