In his first year in the coordinator role, the Panthers continued their prolific ground attack, ranking No. 1 in the Sun Belt Conference and No. 14 in FBS in rushing. Georgia State was one on just 18 schools in the nation to average at least 200 yards of both rushing and passing.
Under McKnight's tutelage, quarterback Darren Grainger earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors while ranking second in the league in total offense and first in the Sun Belt and No. 9 nationally in yards per completion.
McKnight spent his first five seasons at Georgia State (2017-21) coaching the receivers and helping the Panthers to winning seasons and bowl berths in three straight seasons. His receiving corps were key performers in some of the most prolific offenses in program history, and he was nominated for the 2020 Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach.
As receivers coach, he tutored six All-Sun Belt Conference receivers and three of the top five pass catchers in program history. During that time, the Panthers set school records for scoring average (33.3 ppg in 2020), points (406 in 2019), touchdowns (53 in 2019) and total offense (439.8 ypg in 2019) while producing the top scoring averages in program history from 2019-21.
In his first two seasons at Georgia State, McKnight coached current NFL receiver Penny Hart, who ranks among the most prolific receivers in Sun Belt Conference history. In 2017, Hart led the Sun Belt with a school-record 74 receptions for 1,121 yards and eight touchdowns,. Following the 2018 season, Hart earned an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and signed an NFL free agent contract,
Before coming to GSU in 2017, McKnight previously coached at Samford, where he filled several roles on the offensive staff in four seasons there while helping the program to four straight winning seasons, highlighted by a Southern Conference championship and NCAA FCS playoff berth in 2013.
He served as run game coordinator and tight ends coach for the 2015 season, when the Bulldogs ranked No. 7 in the nation in total offense (479.7 ypg) and No. 3 in passing offense while leading the SoCon in scoring with 34.6 points per game.
As Samford’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2014, McKnight tutored all-conference wide receiver Karel Hamilton, the SoCon’s top pass catcher that year who went on to earn first-team All-America honors in 2016 while leading the nation with 10.1 receptions per game.
Hamilton was one of four receivers and tight ends who earned all-conference or all-freshman recognition under McKnight.
For the 2012 and 2013 seasons, McKnight coached the Samford tight ends and inside receivers, helping the 2013 Bulldogs lead the SoCon in passing offense while ranking second in total offense and scoring en route to the conference title and playoff bid.
He returned to Samford, his alma mater, after one season (2011) as the wide receivers coach at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville.
McKnight served as a student assistant coach at Samford for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, working primarily on defense but also with running backs and special teams. He worked as a recruiting intern at Alabama (2007-08) before beginning his coaching career as an assistant at Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham (2008).
McKnight, who played safety for the Bulldogs in 2006 and 2007, earned his degree in business administration from Samford in 2010.
Tech has seemingly wrapped up their search for a WR coach
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