Former Whitworth, NW Christian coach Bill Knuckles dies

William Gene “Bill” Knuckles, the former men’s basketball coach at Whitworth and head boys basketball coach for Northwest Christian High School, died Saturday. He was 88.

Knuckles started his coaching career in the high school ranks in Colorado before coming to Spokane in 1958 as the head basketball coach and assistant coach for the Whitworth football team.

He later worked as an assistant football coach at Idaho, Southern Illinois and Louisville. He then became the head football coach of McPherson College (1969-70) in McPherson, Kansas, and later became the head football coach of Rocky Mountain College (1974-75) in Billings.

In 1977, Knuckles returned to Spokane to become athletic director and basketball coach for Northwest Christian. At the same time, he returned to Whitworth as an assistant coach.

He guided NWC to its first State B tournament in 1978. The Crusaders placed fifth.

“I’m really happy to be back in Spokane,” Knuckles told the Spokane Daily Chronicle on Aug. 22, 1977. “This is my favorite city.”

A memorial service for Knuckles will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at South Hill Bible Church, 958 E. 29th Ave. in Spokane.