Men’s Tennis Adds Karch Knoll as Assistant Coach
8/12/2026 3:59:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Knoll joins the Lions after helping Tennessee Tech to a Horizon League championship in 2026
NEW YORK – Bidyut K. Goswami Head Coach of Men's Tennis Howard Endelman announced the addition of Karch Knoll to the Columbia men's tennis coaching staff as an assistant coach.
Knoll joins the Lions after spending the 2025-26 season as an assistant men's tennis coach at Tennessee Tech University, where he helped guide the Golden Eagles to a historic season.
"We are excited to welcome Karch to Columbia," Endelman said. "His work ethic, experience and understanding of what it takes to build successful programs will be extremely valuable. We look forward to having Karch contribute to the continued growth of Columbia men's tennis."
During his lone season at Tennessee Tech, Knoll helped the Golden Eagles capture the 2026 Horizon League regular season championship while going undefeated in conference play. Tennessee Tech went on to win the Horizon League Tournament championship, the first tournament title in program history.
Knoll helped Tennessee Tech improve from a 2-12 record the previous season to a 16-8 mark in 2025-26. The Golden Eagles also achieved the highest national doubles ranking in program history at No. 48 and recorded the highest team GPA in Tennessee Tech Athletics history at 3.84.
Prior to his time at Tennessee Tech, Knoll spent three seasons as a summer practice partner with the NC State men's and women's tennis programs. During that time, he worked with two top-10 NCAA programs.
Knoll has also gained extensive experience in tennis instruction and camp administration. He served as Director of Tennis for Next Athletes Nike Sports, directing camps in Los Angeles, Boise and Denver while managing six staff members and 36 children ages 8-17. He previously served as a session director for Wolfpack Tennis Camp and as lead coach and co-founder of Knoll AdvantageWorks Tennis Camp.
A standout collegiate player at Grinnell College, Knoll was a four-time Midwest Conference team champion from 2022-25 and won three Midwest Conference individual championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025. He helped Grinnell advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament Round of 32 three consecutive years from 2023-25, while the program reached a program-best No. 27 national ranking.
Knoll also enjoyed a decorated high school career, winning two Texas state championships and two team state championships. He began teaching tennis at the age of 16 at the Waco Regional Tennis Center.
Knoll earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Grinnell College with a concentration in policy studies and further specialization in affordable housing policy. He is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Tennessee Tech University.
The son of national championship-winning coach Matt Knoll, Karch has attended 14 NCAA Final Sites and has developed a recruiting network spanning Europe, South America and Australia.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join Columbia men's tennis and become part of such a special program," Knoll said. "Columbia has a tremendous tradition of success, and I am excited to work alongside Coach Endelman and the team. I look forward to bringing energy every day and helping the Lions continue to compete at the highest level."
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Men's Tennis by following the Lions on X (@CULionsMTEN), Instagram (@culionsmten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Knoll joins the Lions after spending the 2025-26 season as an assistant men's tennis coach at Tennessee Tech University, where he helped guide the Golden Eagles to a historic season.
"We are excited to welcome Karch to Columbia," Endelman said. "His work ethic, experience and understanding of what it takes to build successful programs will be extremely valuable. We look forward to having Karch contribute to the continued growth of Columbia men's tennis."
During his lone season at Tennessee Tech, Knoll helped the Golden Eagles capture the 2026 Horizon League regular season championship while going undefeated in conference play. Tennessee Tech went on to win the Horizon League Tournament championship, the first tournament title in program history.
Knoll helped Tennessee Tech improve from a 2-12 record the previous season to a 16-8 mark in 2025-26. The Golden Eagles also achieved the highest national doubles ranking in program history at No. 48 and recorded the highest team GPA in Tennessee Tech Athletics history at 3.84.
Prior to his time at Tennessee Tech, Knoll spent three seasons as a summer practice partner with the NC State men's and women's tennis programs. During that time, he worked with two top-10 NCAA programs.
Knoll has also gained extensive experience in tennis instruction and camp administration. He served as Director of Tennis for Next Athletes Nike Sports, directing camps in Los Angeles, Boise and Denver while managing six staff members and 36 children ages 8-17. He previously served as a session director for Wolfpack Tennis Camp and as lead coach and co-founder of Knoll AdvantageWorks Tennis Camp.
A standout collegiate player at Grinnell College, Knoll was a four-time Midwest Conference team champion from 2022-25 and won three Midwest Conference individual championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025. He helped Grinnell advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament Round of 32 three consecutive years from 2023-25, while the program reached a program-best No. 27 national ranking.
Knoll also enjoyed a decorated high school career, winning two Texas state championships and two team state championships. He began teaching tennis at the age of 16 at the Waco Regional Tennis Center.
Knoll earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Grinnell College with a concentration in policy studies and further specialization in affordable housing policy. He is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Tennessee Tech University.
The son of national championship-winning coach Matt Knoll, Karch has attended 14 NCAA Final Sites and has developed a recruiting network spanning Europe, South America and Australia.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join Columbia men's tennis and become part of such a special program," Knoll said. "Columbia has a tremendous tradition of success, and I am excited to work alongside Coach Endelman and the team. I look forward to bringing energy every day and helping the Lions continue to compete at the highest level."
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Men's Tennis by following the Lions on X (@CULionsMTEN), Instagram (@culionsmten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
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