Hilbert has announced the promotion of Emma Knoll to interim head coach for the women’s hockey team.
Knoll initially joined the team as a full-time assistant coach and will now be the team’s head coach for the program’s third year. She takes over for Earl Utter.
“I am excited for Emma and our women’s hockey program,” said Hilbert athletic director Tim Seil in a news release. “I look forward to working with her as we continue to grow our program and head into the UCHC for the 2025-26 season.”
Knoll is excited about the opportunity to develop her own coaching style and to share her passion and experiences with the current Hawks roster.
“I am thoroughly excited to be the new head women’s ice hockey coach for Hilbert College,” said Knoll. “I would like to thank Tim Seil and Laura Edholm, and the athletic department as a whole, for this opportunity. I feel I have been given the right tools and immense support from the college to not only grow this program, but have it thrive. I look forward to the upcoming season and many seasons to come.”
Knoll, who brings a variety of playing and coaching experiences to Hilbert, was the first full-time assistant women’s hockey coach. She will split her time assisting with the organization and oversight of the athletic facilities and events while also working to develop and teach the current Hawks players, as well as recruit outstanding student-athletes to Hilbert.
Since June 2023, Knoll has served as a youth ice hockey instructor and private coach at the Ford Ice Center in Bellevue, Tenn. During that same time frame, she was the assistant director for the Nashville Wolverines Hockey Club, working with 14U/16U and 19U teams while also coaching the 16U team.
While still competing as an undergraduate for the King’s women’s hockey team, she also worked remotely as scout for Mora IK (Mora, Sweden). She focused on scouting AHL, ECHL, NCAA, Czech Extraliga and Slovak Extraliga hockey players and reported directly to the director of scouting on player research.
Knoll earned a business administration degree with a major in Marketing and a minor in mass communications from King’s in 2023. In addition to competing on skates for three seasons, she also was a member of the Monarchs’ women’s golf team. Over the course of her career, Knoll earned UCHC all-academic honors as well as MAC academic honor roll recognition three consecutive years in addition to being named to the MAC golf sportsmanship team in 2021.
