LHS Hopes Knott is the Answer

Long time USD 480 coach Pat Knott is Liberal’s head softball coach. He replaces Wendall Bard who coached LHS for the past two seasons before resigning last month. Liberal was 6-15 this past season. LHS Athletic Director Scott Hinkle says Knott will lead Liberal the right direction. “I am very excited Pat accepted the softball position and know he will do a great job in building our softball program into top flight program not just in the Western Athletic Conference, but statewide.” Knott will be the fifth head softball coach in seven years at Liberal High. Knott coached the JV team this spring. Knott has coached West Middle School volleyball and girls basketball in recent years. He came to Liberal in 1999 and coached baseball with Ed Popplewell. Knott says there are some ingredients for success in place at LHS. “The interest is there. We’ve got some girls and some dads headed the right direction. We’ve got to get some work ethic and expectations on what it’s going to take in the summers to compete with some of these other teams in our conference.” Knott says the program is starving for direction. “It’s a program that hasn’t been well developed. There are some good girls there who have some success but the success doesn’t carry over to the next group who comes up. My job basically is to instill that in them and use my stamp on the program which is my blueprint that I use for baseball and teach the girls that this is how we can get it done.” Knott coached a group of 14 year-old Liberal Laces this summer.