[1] Previously, Knowlton served as the athletic director for the United States Air Force Academy[2] and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

[3] Originally from Burlington, Massachusetts, Knowlton graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1982, where he studied engineering and played on the Army Black Knights men's ice hockey team.

[8][9] He followed that assignment with a stint as joint exercise branch chief for Air Force Space Command and deploying to Iraq.

[6] Returning to the Division I level, Knowlton became the 11th athletic director at the United States Air Force Academy on March 22, 2015.

[20] In June 2022, Knowlton received more pushback for telling current Cal swimmers and their families that the investigation into McKeever could take six months.

“The report details numerous violations of university policies that prohibit race, national origin, and disability discrimination.

The weeks following the firing and release of the report have seen prominent financial donors to the university and its athletic program joining current and former Golden Bears swimmers and their parents in calling for the immediate dismissal of Knowlton and Simon-O’Neill, who critics allege ignored or failed to effectively address repeated credible allegations of bullying and harassment against McKeever.

"[25] The East Bay Times/Southern California News Group also reported that UC Berkeley is taking additional steps beyond the firing of McKeever.

[25] On March 23, 2023, Scott Reid of the Southern California New Group reported that UC Berkeley has launched a formal investigation into Knowlton and Simon-O'Neill's handling of the allegations against McKeever.