Perhaps the most successful current NCAA men’s collegiate coach, Knipe guided Long Beach State, his alma mater, to its second and third NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019. He has made 4 straight trips to NCAA Volley Four. He has made 6 overall NCAA appearance as head coach, with a loss in the finals in 2004 in 5 sets and semi-finals losses in 2008, 2016, 2017. He is a 3-time AVCA Coach of the Year and has won 334 matches in 16 seasons. He was the LBS starting middle blocker and leading NCAA final match hitter on school’s first title team in 1991 and was All-Tournament. He started on the 1990 NCAA runner-up team.

In 2018 he became the fourth in men’s history to win titles as player and head coach (Rod Wilde, Bob Yoder, John Speraw) and 5th coach to ever win 2 straight NCAA titles in 2019. The 6-5 Knipe played two-years for the USA National Team. He was head coach for the 2012 USA Olympic Team in London which finished 5th. He also coached Golden West to 1995 JC State title. He was a standout prep player at OC’s Marina HS. He was inducted in 2011 to the LBS Athletics HOF. His son is a setter at LBS.