Colorado Springs, Colo. (August 6, 2021)–Following the announcement last spring that Matty Tsang will lead the 2022 World Games Team as head coach, USA Ultimate revealed today the assistant coaches that will support Team USA’s effort to bring home its fifth consecutive gold medal.

Tsang will be assisted on the sidelines by Miranda Knowles and Patrick Sherlock, while Nancy Sun will contribute as a selection assistant – all helping to choose the 14-person roster that will represent the United States next summer in Birmingham, Ala.

This will be Knowles’ fourth appointment as a U.S. National Team coach. She was named to the coaching staff of the U.S. Men’s National Team last year ahead of the World Ultimate and Guts Championships (WUGC), but the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowles previously served as an assistant for the U-20 Women’s National Team in 2010 and 2006.

Knowles has coached and competed at nearly every level of the sport. She began playing at Paideia High School in Atlanta and built a career that included time with some of the nation’s best, including Carleton College Syzygy, Seattle Riot, Atlanta Ozone and more. Knowles has coached teams at all levels: multiple youth club and high-school-based teams, the University of Washington women’s team, Israel’s 2020 girls’ national team and more.

As a player, Knowles was a member of the gold medal-winning 2005 U.S. World Games Team.

“It’s one thing to achieve the dream of standing on the podium myself (as a player),” said Knowles, “but it’s another thing to have the chance to guide 14 amazing athletes in finding their own dreams on the podium. I’m humbled by the responsibility and honored to have this opportunity.”

Sherlock returns to the sidelines after helping lead the 2019 U-24 Mixed National Team to a gold medal in Germany as an assistant coach. He was recently named College Coach of the Year by USA Ultimate for his work with the University of Pennsylvania women’s team in 2019, and has won a pair of national titles as head coach of Philadelphia AMP.

“The standard that Team USA athletes, coaches and staff have created at the World Games is unique and motivating, and it’s an honor to contribute to the 2022 team,” added Sherlock.

Like Knowles, Sun was selected to be an assistant coach for the ill-fated 2020 World Championships as a member of the U.S. Mixed National Team delegation. Chosen as a World Games Team selection assistant to provide additional insight when picking the team, Sun boasts a long list of accolades as a coach and player.

In 2019, Sun led the U.S. U-24 Women’s National Team to a gold medal as head coach. She also served as an assistant coach for the 2016 U.S. Mixed National Team at WUGC and the 2015 U.S. U-24 Mixed National Team, both times coming home with a world title. As an athlete, Sun was a world champion as a member of the 2000 U-20 Women’s National Team and has won multiple club world and national championships with San Francisco Fury.

Occurring every four years, the 11-day, multisport World Games includes mostly non-Olympic sports on its program and is considered the pinnacle of elite-level ultimate. Postponed by one year, the 2022 World Games take place July 7-17.  The U.S. will be joined by seven countries in the sport of flying disc (ultimate): Australia, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan.