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NATALIE KNIGHT MAKESTHE TRANSITION FROM PLAYER TO COACH
DEREK SKILLETT
@derek_skillett
After a successful collegiate basketball career, Natalie Knight will step into a new role starting this fall — from player to coach.
Knight, who totalled 1,081 points during her four-year college career, will join new coach Brandon Schneider's staff as a graduate assistant coach this upcoming season.
"I've really been trying to learn as much as I can," Knight said. "I've been talking to all the coaches and the administration side of it, just trying to figure out what everybody's role is and what their jobs are and learning what my role is and what I'm supposed to be doing."
Knight, who averaged 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game during her senior year for the Jayhawks, said it feels different to be taking on a new role for next fall's squad.
"It feels good to be able to be on a different side of things," she said. "Playing for four years takes kind of
a little toll on your body, so being able to just kind of help the girls and being able to understand that and kind of relate to them helps."
At the end of the 2014-15 season, the University fired coach Bonnie Henrickson. Schneider, who had previously coached Stephen F. Austin to the 2014 and 2015 Southland Conference regular-season titles, has taken over head coaching duties for the Jayhawks.
"[Schneider]'s a great guy. He's funny; he's fun to be around," Knight said. "All the girls love him and I think he fits really well with the program. He's going to make a lot of good changes, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does for the rest of the season."
"Natalie had a tremendous career at Kansas as a student-athlete and we're glad that she has decided to make the transition from player to coach with our program," Schneider said. "She has been an outstanding
Schneider said he is excited to work with Knight during the upcoming season.
member of the KU community and we're thrilled she will continue to be part of it."
Although Henrickson is now the head coach at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Knight said she has kept in touch with her former coach.
"Coach Bonnie is the reason why I'm in this role," Knight said. "She's helped me a lot along the way and I continue to reach out to her and she reaches out to all the four seniors that just graduated. It's really nice to have that relationship."
Despite the role change, Knight said her teammates have responded well to the different job that she will undertake in the new season.
"They're not any different that they were before. They know I'm the same person; it's just I'm in a different working area," Knight said. "Our relationship will definitely be different, as far as not hanging out everyday, but as far as a personal relationship, I'll still talk to them the same and they can always come to me if they need anything."
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