DATE: Sunday, June 22, 1997                 TAG: 9706200308

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   51 lines

EX-BRUIN COACH, AD TO JOIN HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME

In 23 seasons at Western Branch, the last 16 as athletic director, Bill Knowles oversaw the Bruins' athletic program from infancy to dominance.

``There were no official records,'' Knowles said, ``but I kept them myself. Year in and year out, we had the best overall winning percentage, boys and girls, in the Southeastern District.''

Most of the credit belongs to the athletes and the coaches. But it was Knowles who helped hire the coaches, including Terry Perdew and Wade Williams, who this year won state championships in wrestling and boys track, respectively.

It's taken awhile for Knowles to share in the recognition; he retired in 1991. But he finally gets his due Oct. 14 when he'll be one of nine inductees in the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.

``I didn't think I would make it,'' Knowles said. ``When you look at the other ADs in there and compare their accomplishments to mine, they look far and above me.''

Much of Knowles' most important work occurred at the state level. He chaired two state athletic directors conferences at a time when the organization was struggling.

``There was a lot of grumbling at the time and a group from Virginia Beach was about ready to pull out,'' Knowles said. ``I worked to expand the conference, bring in national speakers and it really made a difference.''

Knowles served as president of the state athletic directors association from 1987 to 1989 and received the state award of merit in 1991. Two years later, he received the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award.

Knowles' most significant achievement at Western Branch, he said, was spearheading the expansion of girls athletics.

A long relationship with principal Art Brandriff helped the job go smoother. Knowles and Brandriff met at VMI in 1956, and Knowles was an assistant football coach under Brandriff at Churchland.

``I felt when Bill took over as athletic director we started moving on a level beyond the district,'' Brandriff said.

Knowles has enjoyed an active retirement: fishing, golfing, woodworking and growing more than 40 rose bushes at home.

``They are like babies,'' he said. ``You have to tend them every day.''

Tending to dozens of coaches and hundreds of athletes was perfect training for that. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA

Bill Knowles, among his roses, is most proud of expanding girls

athletics.

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