Don R Knodel

Don was born on September 5, 1931, in Hamilton, Ohio to Robert Knodel and Theresia Zeer Knodel. Don was the youngest of six children. He grew up in Hamilton and graduated from Hamilton High School, where his basketball team won the Ohio boys state basketball championship in 1949. Don went on to play basketball at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where his team earned a spot in the NCAA tournament in 1953. Don served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955.

Don began his basketball coaching career at Talawanda High School, followed by a stint at Marion High School. Don was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt University under Roy Skinner from 1961 to 1966. He helped the Commodores win the 1965 SEC championship, then left in 1966 to become head basketball coach at Rice University in Houston.

Don was head coach of the Rice men’s basketball team from 1966 to 1974. During that time, the Rice Owls won the Southwest Conference regular season title and reached the NCAA Tournament in 1970. In 1974, Don left Rice and began a successful sales career in the construction industry, which he did until his retirement in 1999. During his time in the construction industry, Don also worked two seasons, from 1978 to 1979, as head coach of the Houston Angels, of the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL), the first professional women’s basketball league in the United States. The Angels won the league’s inaugural championship in 1979. Don returned to Rice to serve as Executive Director of the “R” Association from 1999 to 2011.

Don was inducted into the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame in 1974, the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009, the Miami Cradle of Coaches in 2018 and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

A man of quiet faith, Don lived what he believed through his kindness, hard work, and devotion to others. Don spoke often of the two greatest influences in his life. Bill Sharp ran a local sports league in Hamilton, Ohio, and convinced Don to join the basketball league when Don was in elementary school. Coach Sharp always emphasized “If you play it, you play it right…by the rules…as hard as you can…you don’t quit…you work to get better.” John Mahaney was a local businessman in Oxford, Ohio who served as a volunteer assistant basketball coach at Miami University. Upon graduating high school, Don could not afford college and had no scholarship offers. Mahaney recruited Don to play basketball for Miami. Miami had no available scholarships, so Mahaney allowed Don to live in Mahaney’s coal yard office building Don’s first two years at Miami. After two years, Mahaney convinced his wife to allow Don to live in the Mahaney house during the remainder of Don’s time at Miami. Mahaney’s three young daughters called Don “Uncle Donny,” and Don referred to Mahaney as “…an angel that appeared in my life who treated me as the son that he never had.”

Don was articulate, witty, hardworking, social, thoughtful, accepting and kind. He loved grocery shopping and eating, especially rye bread, cherry pie, pretzels, goetta (a breakfast meat from the Cincinnati area), thin crust pizza (with extra sauce), Whoppers, and Wintergreen Lifesavers. Don typically had three TV’s going at once – a sporting event, a classic movie, and Gunsmoke. He loved smoking his pipe while he read the Houston Chronicle, which he especially enjoyed for its sports coverage, weather forecast and the comic strip Crankshaft. Don maintained countless close friendships, especially with his former players from the Commodores, Owls and Angels teams, who all affectionately called him as “Coach.” His social life was extremely full, well into his 90’s, and he regularly attended Rice Owls athletic events. Don also remained physically active into his 90’s and was beloved for riding his full-sized tricycle around the neighborhood and the Rice campus. All of the neighbors on the 2100 block of Addison lovingly called him “Coach.” Above all, Don’s greatest joy throughout his 95 years was his family.

Don was preceded in death by his son, Mark Knodel; his parents; and his siblings.He is survived by his daughters, Jenny Knodel Sommer and her husband, Charles, and Kristin Knodel Martin and her husband, Richard; his grandchildren, Alex Sommer, Audrey Sommer and Mary Sommer; Stuart Martin and Archie Martin; and Chris Knodel and Casey Knodel, sons of the late Mark Knodel; and his great-grandchild, Collins Markie Knodel, daughter of Casey Knodel.

A celebration of Don’s life will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, January 10, 2027, in the “R” Room at Rice University. Don’s family will have a private burial ceremony on November 12.

The family wishes to thank the caregivers and hospice workers at Belmont Village for their compassionate care of Don. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston at www.bgcgh.org/donate.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Matthew 25:21