When new Minnesota United head coach Cameron Knowles finished up his introductory news conference Tuesday, it was time for one-on-one interviews with individual media outlets.
One TV spot was going to be done in the outdoor path toward Allianz Field’s snow-covered playing surface. Knowles couldn’t locate his coat but quickly soldiered on.
“I’ll survive; I’m Minnesotan,” the New Zealand native said almost under his breath and to no one in particular.
After a move from Portland, Knowles has been in various roles with MNUFC since 2021, and the Twin Cities have become a home to him, his wife and his three young daughters. After starting off as a video analyst for United and then head coach of the Loons’ developmental team, Knowles has been promoted to lead the first team with a multi-year contract starting this season.
Knowles served as interim head coach for three games before his predecessor, Eric Ramsay, arrived a month into the 2024 season. He then was an assistant to Ramsay for two years before Ramsay left for West Bromwich Albion in England’s second division last week.
During that interim stint, Loons chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad was impressed with Knowles’s charisma with players and staff, and his leadership presence — being patient when some situations called for it and more direct at other times.
“Over the last two years, I’ve seen nothing but growth in both his leadership (and) how he connects with the players, how the players respond to him,” El-Ahmad said. “Then, when you know the whole situation with Eric moving on, (our) philosophy was very simple. We already knew what we wanted to do, and that’s why we acted very swiftly.”
Knowles was hired in a matter of days and started preseason training sessions in Blaine on Monday.
“The good thing is, we have the benefit of that experience (in 2024) to go through it and to lead this group, and to continue to evolve what we did,” Knowles said. “We built a really good foundation over the last two years, and to continue to evolve that and take the next step forward. To be the person to help drive that, I’m really proud of that.”
El-Ahmad reached out to other potential candidates, including some prominent ones, but also has set a club goal to build internal succession planning. That is panning out with Knowles and Fanendo Adi, who will take over for Jeremy Hall as head coach of the Loons’ developmental team, MNUFC2.
Under Ramsay, the Loons were a stout, defensive-centric team that struck offensively on set pieces and counter attacks. But that group set an MLS-low in possession in 2025.
“What we have to do is take the best of that and then we evolve the line of confrontation when we are defending, a little bit higher,” Knowles said. “A few different moments when we can press the ball, a little more aggressive. Gain a little bit more control of the game with the ball. All these things that are just small steps in moving it forward and adding new dimensions to the team.”
Knowles will have an experienced deputy by his side. On Tuesday, MNUFC hired former Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff to be a first-team assistant coach.
Wolff led Austin as an MLS expansion franchise in 2021 and reached Western Conference final in 2022 but was let go after two down seasons. He has been an assistant with the U.S. men’s national team, Columbus, D.C. and most recently with Houston Dynamo last season.
“For me, it’s somebody who can support (Knowles) and take some things off his plate,” Wolff told the Pioneer Press. “Add some value on the field from an attacking standpoint in coaching.”
The Loons will hire another assistant coach, but that won’t happen immediately. The club is retaining fellow assistant in Zarek Valentin and head of goalkeeping Thomas Fawdry.
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