Laura Knudsen concluded her fifth year as the head coach of the UW-Stout men's and womens' track and field teams in 2013, Knudsen resigned at the conclusion of the 2013 academic year.

The 2013 Blue Devil teams sent six student-athletes to NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship and four to the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship. Zach Anderson finished runner-up in the heptathlon and Jessika Smith earned a runner-up finish in the pentathlon. Patrick Jenkins earned All-America honors with an eighth place finish in the 5000-meter run.

The 2012 men's track season saw the Blue Devils achieve the highest finishes in school history at the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. Consistently highly ranked throughout the season, the Blue Devils finished fourth at the 2012 indoor national championships and a school-best third at the 2012 outdoor championships as Tim Nelson won the 5K indoor national title and the 5K and 10K outdoor national titles.

And the former Blue Devil standout will continue to use her long-time familiarity with WIAC and the NCAA Division III track and field scene to shape her teaims.

Competing as Laura Verdegan, Knudsen is one of the most decorated athletes in UW-Stout history. 

Knudsen was a 12-time track and field All-American, won 10 WIAC individual titles, either holds or has held nine UW-Stout track records and was the 2005 US Track & Field Coaches National Female Athlete of the Year. As a track and field competitor at Stout, Knudsen competed in at least 14 different events. Knudsen earned a national title in 2004, winning the NCAA Division III indoor triple jump championship. In 2012, Knudsen was named to the WIAC All-Time Women's Track & Field team.

While working on her master's and working internships and full-time jobs in the Menomonie community, Knudsen was an assistant coach with the UW-Stout men's and women's track and field teams for three seasons. She predominately worked with the high jumpers, the hurdles crews and the multi-event performers. She was an assistant cross country coach for two seasons.

"One of the biggest challenges I see ahead as the head coach is improving our conference standing for both the men's and women's teams," Knudsen said. "I believe the WIAC is one of the toughest NCAA Division III conferences in the nation and to even score a point (individually) at the conference meet, it takes a lot of talent and hard work."

Knudsen was also a standout player for the Blue Devil women's basketball team, earning all-conference honors twice, honorable mention honors once and all-defensive team honors three times.

An outstanding student as well as athlete, Knudsen is the only individual to have earned WIAC Scholar-Athlete honors in three sports - indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and women's basketball.

After wrapping up her collegiate career with an undergraduate degree in dietetics, Knudsen, who is a registered dietitian, earned her master's degree in food and nutritional sciences.

"One of the biggest reasons I pursued my master's degree was to open th door to the possibility of being a head coach at the collegiate level," Knudsen said. "To prepare for being a coach and instructor at the collegiate level, I obtained minors in both coaching and health and fitness. As a registered dietitian, I feel I will be able to further assist our team with regards to nutrition."

Verdegan-Knudsen was inducted into the UW-Stout Hall of Fame in 2015 and into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2018.

Knudsen resides in Menomonie with her husband, Corey Knudsen, a former Blue Devil who has also worked with the pole vaults, and their son, Zach, and their daughter, .

Knudsen Fast Facts

• Three years UW-Stout assistant track and field coach
• Two years assistant UW-Stout cross country coach
• In 2009 as first year head coach, worked with men's conference champion pole vaulter and 4x100-relay team. Also advanced men's and women's pole vaulter and 4x100-relay team to nationals
• In 2010, Sean Larson won national outdoor discus title. Also advanced to nationals were Sam Flood, sprints; Kendall Wade, sprints; Ashlea Peter, triple jump; Sam Mayer, discus; Daniel Drewek, pole vault; Larson wins WIAC hammer title, Flood 200-meter WIAC title.
• In 2011, the Blue Devils performed a trifecta of sorts at the WIAC Outdoor Championships. Jessika Smith was named the women's field athlete of the meet, Sam Flood the men's track athlete of the meet and Daniel Drewek the men's field athlete of the meet. Drewek also earned the WIAC indoor field athlete of the meet awards and earned All-America honors in the indoor and outdoor pole vault, Tim Nelson earned a pair of outdoor distance All-America awards and Anne Guthrie earned All-America honors in the indoor pentathlon. Sabrina Scoville and Mike Lihrman also make national appearances.
• In 2012, the men's team finished fourth at the NCAA indoor championships and third at the NCAA outdoor championships. Tim Nelson captured three national titles - the indoor 5000-meter crown and at the outdoors, the 5000- and 10,000-meter titles. The Blue Devils won the six outdoor All-America awards and four indoor.
• On the women's side in 2012, Jessika Smith repeated as the WIAC performer of the year but this time during the indoor meet by winning the pentathlon and the long jump. Smith earned All-America honors in the indoor pentathlon and the outdoor heptathlon.
• In 2013, Zach Anderson repeated as WIAC outdoor decathlon champion and Jessika Smith repeated as WIAC indoor pentathlon champion and performer of the meet. Anderson finished second at the NCAA Division III Championship in the heptathlon and Smith finished second in the pentathlon. Andrea Krueger won the WIAC outdoor pole vault title.
• As an assistant, coached 15 all-conference women performers, two national qualifiers
• As an assistant, coached three all-conference men performers, two national qualifiers
• 2004 NCAA Division III indoor triple jump champion
• 12-time NCAA Division III All-American
• 10-time WIAC Track & Field individual champion
• 2005 USTCA Female Athlete of the Year
• 2005 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American
• Named to WIAC All-Time Women's Track and Field team in 2012
• Qualified to 2005 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in heptathlon (4th), long jump (8th), triple jump
• WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete (2005 outdoor, 2005 indoor, 2004 women's basketball)
• Holds or did hold nine UW-Stout track and field records
• Currently holds eight Stout records (Indoor - 4x400-meter, long jump, triple jump; Outdoor - high jump, long jump, triple jump, 400 hurdles, heptathlon)
• Four-year starter for Blue Devil women's basketball team
• Two-time all-WIAC womens' basketball, once honorable mention
• Three-time WIAC all-defensive team
• Finished basketball career with 991 points, 604 rebounds