Former Butler goalkeeper Fabian Knopfler joined the Bulldogs' coaching staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2015 season. He works primarily with the goalkeepers as well as assists with team operations.
The Bulldogs have earned NCAA Tournament berths in three of the last five seasons (2019, 2017, 2016).
In 2017, the Butler coaching staff was named the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. Butler went 8-1 against BIG EAST opponents, winning the regular season title and earning the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Bulldogs posted an overall record of 14-5-2 and a No. 12 national ranking in the United Soccer Coaches poll. In that 2017 season, the Bulldogs advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995 (and just the third time in program history).
Knopfler helped coach Eric Dick, who was named a 2017 First-Team United Soccer Coaches All-American and BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, while earning BIG EAST First-Team Honors. He was also named to the All-Great Lakes Region first-team.
Dick was also named a first-team Scholar All-American and a North/Central Region All-Scholar athlete.
During the 2016 season, the Butler coaching staff was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Great Lakes Region Staff of the Year for Division I institutions. The staff led the Bulldogs to an impressive 13-5-2 overall record. Butler won its first BIG EAST championship and earned Butler the No. 15 overall seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs' first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.
The Bulldogs posted a 10-4-4 record in 2015, finishing third in the BIG EAST. Butler was nationally ranked for a good portion of the season and was one of the last six unbeatens in the country.
For the three years prior to joining the Butler staff, Knopfler was the Head Goalkeeper Coach of the Zionsville Youth Soccer Academy where he coached both boy and girl goalkeepers 13 and up.
As a player, Knopfler transferred to Butler University in 2007. In 2010, the team was ranked No. 5 and was the only undefeated team in the nation during the regular season. Knopfler helped the team become the Horizon League champions in 2009 and 2010, and then go on to become the conference tournament champions in 2010. Knopfler currently holds the program record for goals against average (.55/game).
Knopfler arrived at Butler as a student-athlete from Reutlingen, Germany where he was named the starting goalkeeper for the Regional Selection team from 1997 to 2003. He helped lead his regional team to two state championships and also was named starting goalkeeper for the U-14 State Selection team where he made 47 appearances as the starting keeper within five years and won two national championships.
In 1999, Knopfler transferred to VfB Stuttgart, a youth academy team of Bundesliga professional club, where he tallied six regional championships, four state championships and two national championships during his four years with the team.
Knopfler made his first appearance for Germany's U-15 National team in 2000. He made four appearances for both the U-15 and U-16 squad.
From 2003 to 2007 Knopfler played for the fourth league club SSV Reutlingen 05 and advanced to the third league in 2006.
Knopfler earned a degree in marketing from Butler in 2010. He completed his MBA with a concentration in finance at Butler in 2011.
