On February 11, 2010, Jeff Knarr was named the new head football coach at King’s College where he was charged with rebuilding the Monarch program.
Knarr came to King’s after serving 11 years as an assistant coach at Muhlenberg where has spent the last four years as offensive coordinator while serving as the program’s quarterbacks-receiving coach and recruiting coordinator since 2001.
As the offensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Jeff Knarr was instrumental in helping the Mule program to six Centennial Conference championships and five NCAA Division III National Playoff berths, including berths in 2007 and 2008.
He joined the Muhlenberg staff in 1999 where he served as the defensive line coach for two seasons. In 2001 he became the Mules’ recruiting coordinator, ultimately helping Muhlenberg develop into one of the top programs in the Centennial Conference. During his 11 years at Muhlenberg, Knarr helped the Mules to a combined 78-40 record, including a 49-19 mark in Centennial Conference games. In addition, Muhlenberg won or shared six Centennial Conference championships and earned five berths into the NCAA Division III National Playoffs in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008.
The Mules also played in two Eastern College Athletic Conference bowl games during his tenure. In 2001 Muhlenberg, ironically, played King’s at McCarthy Stadium where the Monarchs won a 32-29 thriller. Muhlenberg also posted a 26-22 win over King’s cross-town rival Wilkes in the 2000 ECAC Southwest Bowl.
In Knarr’s four years as offensive coordinator at Muhlenberg, the Mules averaged 24.8 points per-game. During his first three years heading the Mule attack, Muhlenberg displayed great improvement in points per-game. The Mules averaged 13.8 points in 2005 but improved to 20.5 points during his first season running the offense in 2006. The team continued to improve, scoring 29.7 points in 2007 before tallying 30.8 points in 2008. Muhlenberg led the Centennial Conference in scoring offense in 2007 and were second in 2008.
The Mule offense also increased its yards per-game averages under Knarr’s direction. Muhlenberg averaged 261.8 total yards in 2005 before Knarr improved the squad to 284.4 yards in 2006. In 2007, the Mule offense jumped to 377.7 yards per-game before netting 410.8 yards in 2008.
At King’s, Knarr will implement a Pro-Style Multiple I offense with the goal of finding an equal pass-run balance with varying formations. On the other side of the ball, he will utilize a multiple-scheme pressure 3-4 attacking defense.
Knarr also gained a reputation as the Muhlenberg special teams coordinator. His 2001 punt return unit ranked 19th in NCAA Division III and his 2002 squad returned five punts for touchdowns. In 2003, the Mules blocked 12 kicks and ranked in the top 25 in Division III in both punt returns and kickoff returns.
As the head of player recruitment at Muhlenberg, Knarr will immediately step in and attempt to secure the Monarchs’ 2010 freshmen class. He has successfully recruited many of the areas King’s has attracted student-athletes from over the years, having recruited numerous areas of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and northern Virginia.
A 1987 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Easton, Knarr was a two-time Centennial Conference selection as a Easton Express Times all-area choice as a senior. He continued his education at Fordham University where he played two years as a free safety. He eventually transferred to Western Maryland College where he played his final two years as a hybrid outside linebacker. He later earned a bachelor of science degree from East Stroudsburg University in 1994 and served two years as an assistant coach under Denny Douds while completing his degree in education and sports management.
From 1995-98, Knarr served as the head football coach at his alma-mater – Notre Dame – where he also taught physical education, accounting, and sports management, prior to his arrival at Muhlenberg in 1999.
Knarr, who currently resides in Easton, is married to his wife Katie. The couple have two children, daughter Megan and son Jake.
