By Tom Chadwick
Under the floodlights of The Village Green at the University of New South Wales in Kensington, Gabe Knowles paces the touchline in an all-black tracksuit, puffer jacket zipped tight against the chill, beanie pulled low. His hands are clasped behind his back as he watches a half-field match unfold.
From time to time he steps on to the pitch, offering a pointer here, correcting positioning there. It’s part game simulation, part live instruction. When the play pauses, he gathers the squad into a huddle for a half-time simulation talk.
Later, as training winds down, he quietly pulls players aside for individual conversations.
This measured but hands-on approach is emblematic of Knowles’ coaching philosophy: considered, structured, and, above all, professional. It’s a style that’s helped him guide the University of New South Wales’ men’s football program into one of the most respected set-ups in the state.
Knowles’ football journey began with Leichhardt Saints in Sydney’s inner west, though he admits the memories are a little hazy.
“I think it was under sevens, or something like that,” he said. “I did see a photo from my mum recently of me playing even younger, at the park with some of her friends. But I just liked the game and kept playing.”
He climbed the local ranks in Sydney’s Inner West, spending time at Leichhardt Saints, APIA Leichhardt and Balmain. But during university and the early years of full-time work, football drifted into the background.
It wasn’t until his early thirties that the sport came calling again. Playing for fun in the Sydney Amateur League with Leichhardt Saints, Knowles began player-coaching – and found a knack for it.
“We had a year where we didn’t even drop a point,” he recalled. “That’s when I started to think about different challenges.”
A friend invited him to UNSW, initially to join as a squad player and assistant coach.
“But I got there and quickly discovered he had no authority to make that decision.” Knowles laughed. “I definitely wasn’t going to be a squad player, so I ended up on the coaching side full-time.”
The shift from player to coach was more transformative than he expected.
“Playing gives you a knowledge base, but it doesn’t prepare you to manage people. That’s the trickier part.”
He credits his early leadership skills not to football, but hospitality.
“I managed a café when I was younger. In that environment, you’ve got to make decisions fast and manage people on the fly. That helped me more than anything I did on the pitch.”
As his coaching responsibilities grew, so too did the expectations. When Knowles arrived at UNSW, the club was under-resourced and lacked structure.
“Where I came from, even though it was a level below, we were probably more organised. So it was just about putting systems in place to succeed.”
The transformation started with the basics: training structure, equipment, staffing. Over time, it evolved into a broader professionalism – physiotherapy coverage, recruitment planning, and clearly defined technical roles.
“All of that just allows us to be aligned – coaches, players, everyone – and have a shared model for how we want to play.”
Now serving as Director of Men’s and Boys’ Football at UNSW, Knowles helps oversee the club’s broader operations alongside fellow directors and the club president Nick Apoifis. Balancing administration and coaching isn’t easy, but delegation has helped.
“It’s tricky to juggle, but having good people around makes it manageable. As the club’s grown, we’ve brought in people like technical directors for our youth sides to take pressure off and keep things moving forward.”
That growth has been mirrored on the pitch. After guiding UNSW to the 2023 FNSW League 2 title and promotion to League 1, Knowles led the side to another remarkable campaign in 2025.
In the final match of the season, in front of their home fans at the Village Green, UNSW clinched the League 1 premiership in dramatic fashion – a 91st-minute winner against Northern Tigers, securing their second title in three years along with promotion to the National Premier League for 2026.
Knowles’ leadership was again recognised at the Football NSW Gala Awards in September, where he received the League 1 Coach of the Year award – his second coaching honour after also winning the League 2 award in 2023.
“I’ve never been huge on accolades,” he said. “But so much time and sacrifice goes into it – it’s nice to see everyone’s work rewarded.”
His coaching philosophy, developed over years of trial, error, and success, centres on one phrase: “No stone unturned.”
“It’s something John (Micalizzi, assistant coach and Director of Football) and I always talk about. We do everything in our power – training plans, recruitment, preparation – so we know we’ve done everything we can to be ready. After that, it’s about application.”
It’s an approach that goes beyond the pitch.
“We try to create an environment that’s truly professional, and not just in a sporting sense. A lot of our staff work in high-level roles in their day jobs, and that filters through. We take care of our players and help them be the best they can be, on and off the field.”
That sense of care was echoed over dinner at the Regent Hotel in Kingsford, where Knowles sat surrounded by coaches from across UNSW’s football program. Between conversations about sponsorship leads and potential player signings, the tone was light and full of camaraderie.
“He’s a bit of an accidental hero,” said Micalizzi. “When he arrived, the place was a bit of a mess. He was meant to help out a bit – maybe play, maybe coach. But giving him the reins full-time was the best thing we’ve done.”
Knowles’ influences in the coaching space speak a lot to his methods.
“I’ve always loved Arsene Wenger – the idea of freedom within structure really resonates. And I’ve got a lot of respect for Gregg Popovich in the NBA. There’s a story about how he honoured Eddie Mabo Day for Patty Mills with the Spurs by arranging a surprise presentation on it for the team when they came in that day. To me that’s real, empathetic leadership. That stayed with me.”
When asked how he defines success, Knowles offers a thoughtful answer.
“There’s the obvious stuff – on-field results. But only one or two teams win trophies each year. For me, it’s about making better people. Especially with senior players, they might not leave as better footballers, but they should leave as better people.”
He’s optimistic about the direction of the sport in Australia.
“The professionalism now is on another level. It’s improving every year. What excites me is the idea that we can build a true pathway – open up the pyramid so that any club, any player, can dream of reaching the top. That’s what makes this sport beautiful globally.”
With UNSW now bound for the NPL in 2026, Knowles is already thinking ahead. True to his “no stone unturned” mantra, the focus is on preparation – building depth, maintaining standards, and ensuring the club continues to represent what he calls “a professional environment built on care, structure, and belief”.
“The NPL will be a new challenge,” Knowles says. “But the foundations we’ve built – our culture, our togetherness – that’s what got us here, and it’s what will take us forward.”
Knowles may not have taken the traditional route to becoming a coach, but perhaps that’s what makes his perspective so grounded. In a system that’s still finding its shape, he’s already laid foundations – not just for wins, but for something more lasting.
Featured image: UNSW soccer team head coach Gabe Kaplan. Photo: Football NSW
