FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State baseball has named Ken Knutson as the program’s volunteer assistant coach, head coach Pat Murphy announced today. Knutson comes to ASU after spending the previous 17 seasons as the head coach at the University of Washington.
"Arizona State is very lucky to be adding a coach of Ken’s status to our program," said head coach Pat Murphy. "He is an established winner, a highly respected coach and I look forward to working with him."
During Knutson’s time at the helm of Washington, he compiled a career record of 584-399-2, including a 240-189 record in Pac-10 play. He is Washington’s all-time leader in coaching victories and won four Pac-10 Northern Division titles and two overall Pac-10 titles during his tenure. He led the Huskies to six NCAA Tournaments and was three times named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1996, 1997 and 1998).
Knutson coached 31 All-Americans at Washington, including 2006 Golden Spikes Award winner and current San Francisco Giant Tim Lincecum, as well as closers Will Fenton and Buck Merrick. Merrick is the school’s all-time leader in saves with 31, while Fenton is second with 23, inclding the 2003 season where he did not allow a run while recording 12 saves. While at Washington, Knutson spent much of his head coaching career as the UW’s pitching coach, coaching at least one All-Pac-10 pitcher every year he served in that capacity.
Prior to being named Washington’s head coach in 1993, Knutson spent nine seasons with the Huskies as both a player and an assistant. In 1981, the lefty Knutson compiled a 5-2 record with a 2.89 ERA, helping lead Washington to the Pac-10 Northern Division title, their first since 1959. He was a First Team All-Pac-10 selection that season after transferring from Seattle University, where he was an all-league performer.
From 1982 to 1986, Knutson was in charge of the Husky pitching staff, including the 1985 season when UW led the nation with a 2.80 ERA. After coaching semi-pro ball in the Seattle area, Knutson returned to Washington as the lead assistant coach and pitching coach from 1990 to 1992 before being named head coach.
Born in Sisseton, S.D., Knutson was raised in Seattle. He was an all-state pitcher at Seattle’s Evergreen High School in 1976 and also quarterbacked the football team.
Knutson was married on August 31, 1991, to his wife Pam. They have three children – Halie, Andrew and Camille.
