M-A hires Jason Knowles as its first girls flag football coach
Menlo-Atherton High School’s Athletic Directors Paul Snow and Steven Kryger announced the hiring of Jason Knowles as the head coach of the Girls Flag Football team, which will start in the fall of 2024.
Knowles began his coaching career in 1993, where he was the two-year head coach at American River Prep School, coaching their middle school flag football team and serving as the school’s PE teacher.
In 1997, Knowles began his high school coaching career at Armijo High School in Fairfield, CA where he served as the freshman OL and DL coach for two seasons, while serving as a middle school Social Science teacher in the district. Following a two-year stint as the middle school flag football coach at Green Valley Middle School, Knowles moved to Angelo Rodriguez High School (Fairfield) in 2003, where he was the HC for the junior varsity team for three seasons, winning two SCAC (Solano County Athletic League) titles.
Knowles then moved up to the varsity level, serving as the team’s offensive coordinator, and in 2006, Rodriguez made its first trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, and set the school record for points scored in a season.
In 2007, Knowles moved to Rocklin, CA to coach and teach at the newly-opened Whitney High School, where he coached under Mike Gimenez as the varsity running backs’ coach for 5 seasons. The Wildcats were perennial playoff teams in that span, appearing in two consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section title games, winning the title in 2008.
In addition to over two decades as a coach, Knowles played semi-pro football for the Solano Chiefs as an offensive tackle. The Chiefs made 3 trips to the Pacific Coast Football League Championship in Knowles’ 8-year stint with the team.
“I’m honored and excited to start the Girls Flag Football program on the ground floor at M-A,” said Knowles. “Our players will be great students, teammates, and players, and we will make our community proud.”
Currently in his 29th year as a teacher, Knowles received his bachelor’s degrees in History and Communications from the University of Southern California in 1993 and did his graduate work in Sports Psychology from JFK University in Pleasant Hill. He currently teaches AP Psychology and World History at M-A.
