Elise Knoche (pronounced kuh-KNOCK-ee) enters her fifth season as head men's and women's swimming and diving coach at UW-Whitewater in 2022-23.
In 2021-22, the Warhawks combined for 117 new personal records on their way to fourth-place finishes at the 2022 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. Seven swimmers entered the program's all-time top 10 list and/or improved on previous top 10 marks.
In 2019-20, the UW-Whitewater men's and women's teams each finished third at the WIAC Championships. Renata Schlomann earned WIAC Women's Swimmer of the Meet honors and qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 50-yard freestyle to garner All-America accolades.
Knoche helped the Warhawks claim seven individual titles at the 2019 WIAC Championships. For the year, 25 student-athletes achieved 57 personal record marks, and two program records were broken on the women's side. The Warhawk women also earned College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team standing for the sixth consecutive year.
Prior to UW-Whitewater, Knoche spent four years as assistant men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach at Division I Southern Illinois University, where she assisted in all aspects of the program and helped the Salukis post more than 80 all-conference honors and break nearly 40 school records.
In the spring of 2018, Knoche was one of six assistant coaches in college swimming who was awarded the CSCAA's prestigious Jean Freeman Scholarship Award. The scholarships are given to assistant coaches whose exception contributions have brought recognition to their institution, and whose leadership, integrity, honesty, competitive attitude and personal graciousness epitomize the characteristics reflected by jean Freeman, longtime women's swimming coach at the University of Minnesota.
Prior to Southern Illinois, Knoche served as head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach and aquatics director at Olivet College (Mich.) from 2012-14. She helped the Comets record 116 career-best performances over the course of two seasons and oversaw teams that earned multiple academic honors.
Knoche’s other college coaching experiences include stints as an assistant at St. Thomas (Minn.) from 2009-12, where she coached 19 NCAA qualifiers, at Oberlin (Ohio) from 2008-09 and at Carleton (Minn.) from 2007-08. She began her coaching career at Hill Farm Swim Club in Madison, where she was a coach, instructor, lifeguard and office staff member from 2000-06.
As a student-athlete at Carleton, Knoche garnered two All-America honors and claimed six Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships. She was a two-time team Most Valuable Athlete during her career and was an Academic All-American as a junior in 2005.
Knoche graduated from Carleton in 2006 with a bachelor’s in biology and from the University of Minnesota in 2011 with a master of education in applied kinesiology, sport and exercise science.
In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Knoche serves as an instructor at UW-Whitewater in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching.
What they’re saying about Elise Knoche:
“Elise did a great job for our program and will be sorely missed, but I’m thrilled that she’s getting this opportunity to lead her own program. I don’t want career assistants. I want them to excel in their careers and move up to bigger and better opportunities, and I’m sure she will have tremendous success leading the program at Wisconsin-Whitewater." – Rick Walker, Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach, Southern Illinois University
“I had the pleasure of working with Coach Knoche in the Missouri Valley Conference. On deck, you can see her passion and heart with all of her athletes. She pays attention to details and goes above and beyond just simply coaching. There will be great things ahead for UW-Whitewater swimming and diving and I am excited to watch Coach Knoche lead the way.” – Amy Burgess, Head Swimming and Diving Coach, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
“I have known Elise as a coaching colleague and then as one of my daughter’s college coaches at Southern Illinois University. At SIU, she helped lead a group of young people who became an amazing team of performers and, more importantly, a team of amazing people.” – Anne Goodman James, Head Swimming Coach/Aquatics Director/Senior Woman Administrator, Colorado College
“Elise is a diligent, smart and committed coach and friend. She has immense leadership skills and truly cares for her student-athletes. I am very happy for Elise and extremely excited for the future of UW-Whitewater swimming and diving.” – Rickey Perkins, Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach, University of Evansville
