Pernell Knox Reflects on Sudden Dismissal After Transformative Run as Columbia Academy AD
For nearly a decade, Pernell Knox was more than just the athletic director at Columbia Academy - he was a cornerstone of the school’s athletic identity. So when he was informed on Feb. 4 that his time in the role would be coming to an end, the emotions were raw and real.
“Shocking” and “painful” were the words Knox used, and given his history with the school, it’s easy to understand why.
A 1994 graduate of Columbia Academy, Knox helped lead the Bulldogs to a Class A state baseball title as a senior. Two decades later, in 2014, he was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame. And in 2016, he returned to take the reins as athletics director - a move that would spark an unprecedented era of success for the school’s sports programs.
“This was more than a job to me,” Knox said. “It’s where I spent my middle and high school years.
To come back and lead your alma mater, to accomplish things that had never been done before in school history - and then to be told it’s time for new leadership - it’s shocking. It is painful.”
Despite the decision, Knox will remain in his role through the end of the school year at his own request, giving him a chance to finish out what has been a remarkable run.
And remarkable is no exaggeration. Since Knox took over as AD, Columbia Academy has captured 23 of its 25 total individual or team state championships. That run includes titles in eight different sports - with baseball and softball each bringing home three - and a historic 2024 football season that saw the Bulldogs reach the Division II-A state finals for the first time in program history.
School president James Thomas acknowledged the impact Knox has had on CA athletics.
“I’m very thankful for Pernell Knox and his leadership of our program, and his dedication to our students, our coaches, and our school,” Thomas said. “He is a Bulldog and will always be a Bulldog. We’ve had some wonderful days under his leadership - many highlights, championships, and success.”
Still, Thomas said the decision to part ways came after “a good deal of consideration” and was ultimately about moving in a new direction.
“Our program has grown and changed a lot in the past few years - a new division in football, more students and athletes - and that growth played a role,” he said. “Ultimately, I concluded that our leadership styles and visions weren’t completely aligned. That convinced me it was time for a change.”
Knox’s path to the AD role wasn’t a straight line. Before returning to CA, he spent 17 years as a certified athletic trainer, the last nine at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee - his alma mater, where he also continued his baseball career and earned NAIA All-American honors. He’s a member of Freed-Hardeman’s athletic hall of fame as well.
The opportunity to return to Columbia Academy came through conversations with longtime assistant baseball coach John Kodatt and then-school president Bill Thrasher. Knox said he never expected to land the job, but out of respect for the school and its leadership, he agreed to an interview.
“Next thing I know, I’m the athletics director at Columbia Academy,” he said with a laugh.
Under his leadership, the Bulldogs didn’t just win - they built a culture. But Knox is quick to deflect credit.
“I don’t want to say that’s Pernell Knox’s glory,” he said. “That’s a testament to the coaches and the people around me who led those teams.
Do I think my leadership had something to do with it? Yes.
But I’m not an idiot. I know a lot of that success comes from the people I placed around me.”
That humility is part of what’s made Knox such a respected figure on campus - and why his departure is hitting so many people hard.
Even as the school’s athletic programs reached new heights, challenges emerged. The 2025 football season, the team’s first in Division II-AA after its 2024 title game appearance, was a harsh reality check. A thin roster was decimated by injuries, and the Bulldogs finished 1-9, dropping their final eight games and forfeiting the season finale.
CA head football coach Seth Anderson, now in his fourth year, acknowledged the difficult season but also pointed to the program’s overall growth.
“I remember back in 2003 when I was playing here, we made T-shirts just for making the playoffs,” Anderson said. “Then Coach Mizer and Coach Lansdell got it rolling in 2012 and 2013, and expectations started to shift.
This year was tough - the injuries were unlike anything I’ve seen in 20 years. But I still feel like the process is moving in the right direction.”
Thomas said the search for a new AD is already underway, with hopes of filling the position before the end of the school year. But he admitted replacing Knox won’t be easy.
“There’s a deep love and appreciation for Pernell. He’s someone people love and respect,” Thomas said. “There are certainly people who will miss his presence.”
As for Knox, he’s still processing the decision - and wrestling with some self-doubt.
“The hardest part is feeling like I let down the people who believed in me - Kodatt, Dr. Thomas, the late Dr.
Thrasher,” he said. “I’ve had success in life because I’m hard on myself.
I wasn’t perfect. I made mistakes, absolutely.
And part of me wonders - if I had done this differently, or that differently - would the outcome have changed?
“I’m probably harder on myself than anyone else.”
Knox’s tenure may be nearing its end, but his impact on Columbia Academy athletics is already etched in the school’s history. Championships, yes. But also a deep sense of pride, purpose, and progress - the kind of legacy that doesn’t fade with a job title.