The University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) has announced the hiring of Mark Knight as the new Assistant Athletic Director and Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Knight, who has been a dedicated member of the UMPI community since fall 2017, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to his new roles.
“I am thrilled to take on the role of head coach for the women’s team at UMPI. I look forward to this new challenge as I continue my stint at UMPI,” said Knight. “I am eager to work with this talented group of women to elevate the program and compete at a high level in the NAC. Along with the coaching role, I am excited to continue to gain experience in the leadership role in our athletic department as UMPI continues to grow.”
Knight began his tenure at UMPI as a part-time assistant, where he quickly demonstrated his capabilities by stepping in as Interim Sports Information Director. His performance in this role led to a five-year stint as the full-time Sports Information Director. Concurrently, Knight served as the assistant coach for the men’s basketball team, where his dedication and skill earned him a promotion to Associate Head Coach during the 2020-21 season.
Under Knight’s leadership, the Owls men’s basketball program achieved significant milestones. Over his tenure, the team posted an overall record of 80-84 and a 34-34 record in the highly competitive North Atlantic Conference (NAC). Impressively, the Owls qualified for the NAC playoffs each year, including a NAC Semi Final appearance in 2020 and a NAC East Division Championship appearance in 2023. Knight joined Dan Kane’s staff in July of 2017 when the program only had four players on the roster. Knight helped Kane recruit throughout the summer to help fill the roster with a talented team that would go on to advance to the American Collegiate Athletic Association championship game.
Other highlights of Knight’s coaching career with the UMPI men includes setting the program record in all-time NCAA wins and NCAA wins in a season. Knight has also been instrumental in game preparation and execution of some of UMPI’s biggest wins in school history, including this past season defeating Bowdoin College and Bates College for the first-time in school history, and defeating Husson University in the 2023 playoffs to advance to the NAC East Divisional Championship game.
Before joining UMPI, Knight spent six years at Webber International University, where he earned both his undergraduate degree in Sport Business Management with a minor in Computer Applications in Business and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Sport Business Management. During his undergraduate years, Knight was a member of the Men’s Basketball team for all four years. He then transitioned to a Graduate Assistant Coach role during his graduate studies, where he served as the head coach for the Men’s Junior Varsity team and an assistant coach for the varsity program.
Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation, Dan Kane, on Knight’s hire, “As well as being a great coach and recruiter that will bring tremendous value and excitement to our women’s basketball program, Coach Knight has been an invaluable member to our department for the past seven years. Willing to go above and beyond to help our student athletes, staff, and student athletes be successful. On top of his coaching and sports information duties, he has also served in multiple roles in the department that make him the perfect fit to move into an Assistant Athletic Director role.”
On top of coaching and sports information, Knight is currently the NCAA Diversity Designee where he also serves on UMPI’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. Knight has also served multiple years as UMPI’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee advisor and has worked extensively with game day operations.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, and raised in Saint Petersburg, Florida, Knight’s diverse background and extensive experience in basketball and sports administration make him an exceptional addition to UMPI’s athletic department.
The UMPI community looks forward to the positive impact Mark Knight will undoubtedly bring to the women’s basketball program and the broader athletic department.
