Aaron Knotts - Director of Internal Operations and Football Strategy - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Aaron Knotts

Title:
Director of Internal Operations and Football Strategy
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Aaron Knotts, now entering his 12^th season with UW in the fall of 2025, has transitioned to a dual role focusing on internal operations and football strategy. He will continue to be involved in the daily operations of the program while adding football-specific responsibilities, such as advanced scouting reports, presentations, analytics, and strategy. In the past 11 seasons with the program, Knotts has been a part of five 10+ win seasons, 4 New Year’s Six games, 3 PAC-12 titles, 2 CFP semi-final appearances, and 1 national championship appearance.

Knotts was promoted to Associate Athletic Director/Chief of Staff in 2024, adding duties such as future opponent scheduling. He was also on an internal, three-person search committee, appointed by then Athletic Director Troy Dannen, that resulted in the hiring of Head Coach Jedd Fisch.
He began his first year serving as the football program's Chief of Staff in 2018, and continued to work with four different head coaches at UW in that capacity (Petersen, Lake, DeBoer, and Fisch). In this role, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the football program, ranging from recruiting, NIL, marketing, budgeting, capital projects, video, HR, and compliance. He also served as the NFL liaison for eight seasons (2016-2023).

Prior to his roles in operations and administration, Knotts spent four years at UW working in recruiting and personnel. After joining the staff as Assistant Director of Player Personnel in 2014, he then served as the Director of High School Relations in 2015 and as the Director of Player Personnel for two years, 2016 and 2017.

Knotts spent the spring of 2014 as the Tight Ends Coach at Division III Centre College (Ky.) before joining Petersen’s staff at UW in the fall. In 2013 he was a recruiting intern for Louisville, which went 12-1 under the direction of Charlie Strong.

After earning his degree in 2012 from Miami University (Ohio), he returned to his alma mater, St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Ky., as Defensive Backs Coach in 2012. As a fullback at St. Xavier, Knotts ran for ten touchdowns in his senior year as the Tigers finished 14-1, falling just short in overtime of the 2007 4-A state championship game.

At Miami University, Knotts graduated cum laude in 2012 with a major in business finance and a minor in coaching.