Tag: Jim Knowles

James Laurinaitis promoted to linebacker coach

James Laurinaitis promoted to linebacker coach #GoBucks

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind when talking about Ohio State football coaches coming and going and the most recent change has been announced. James Laurinaitis has officially been promoted to become the linebackers coach for the Buckeyes.

Laurinaitis spent this last season as a graduate assistant and it was also his first season in Columbus, Ohio, in that role. Still, it only took that one year for Ryan Day and company to pull the trigger and announce him as one of the ten full-time assistants on staff.

There was some slight worry that Laurinaitis may leave to the NFL as he interviewed with the Cleveland Browns, but that may have been the motivation Ohio State needed to give the former Buckeye All-American a full-time position.

Laurinaitis was given a two-year contract and will be taking over for Jim Knowles who was playing the role of defensive coordinator and linebacker coach.

Penn State’s Manny Diaz hired for Duke job, ending Jim Knowles’ candidacy

In case you missed it, Knowles wasn’t hired by Duke, so onward and upward. #GoBucks

The Duke Blue Devils have hired their man and it’s not Ohio State defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles. News surfaced last week that Knowles and the administrators at Duke had discussions about its head football coaching position, and for good reason. Knowles has a previous history with the program and has made a significant name for himself because of his defensive pedigree.

However, Knowles wasn’t the other candidate, and the Blue Devils announced the hiring (subscription may be required) of Penn State defensive coordinator, Manny Diaz, instead, thus ending the chances of Knowles moving on from the program for a better opportunity — at least for now.

Knowles was brought in by OSU head coach Ryan Day to stop the bleeding of a Buckeyes’ defense that had sprung far too many leaks over a couple year time, especially when it came to big plays. He made a name for himself retooling the Oklahoma State defense and the hope was that he could do the same in Columbus.

So far, so good, as the defense has progressed over the last two years, showing improvement in 2022 and then again in 2023. Knowles has shown a willingness and ability to not be stuck in his ways and make subtle changes necessary to improve based on the league and personnel.

Keeping Knowles as the architect of the defense is a win for Ohio State. One of the things that can really derail keeping the program at a high level and continuing to move forward is losing high-priority coaches. Knowles definitely fits that bill and hopefully we’ll see continued improvement with that side of the ball with him still running the show.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

Coaching carousel rumor mill: Ohio State DC Jim Knowles in play for Duke HC job

This could complicate things for USC in its pursuit of Jim Leonhard.

The coaching carousel is spinning. Some actual transactions have occurred in recent days, but a lot more of the action right now is confined to rumor and speculation.

One interesting piece of speculation is that Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is being considered for the open Duke head coaching job vacated by Mike Elko, who went to Texas A&M.

Buckeyes Wire has more on the story:

Offensive line coach Justin Frye has been connected to the open Indiana head coaching position, and now defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has at least been mentioned as a potential fit to take over the Duke program by one publication.

The Blue Devils saw their head coach Mike Elko leave to take over Texas A&M, which is why they have a vacancy. 247Sports Brad Crawford believes that Knowles would be a fit, especially considering he used to be a coordinator for Duke while David Cutcliffe was leading the program.

The key here is that “sources tell 247Sports that they’re unsure if he’s interested in being a head coach at this stage of his career.”

If Knowles does want the Duke job, Ohio State and USC would both have defensive coordinator vacancies. Michigan State, another 2024 Big Ten program, also has a vacancy. This could complicate any scenario for USC in terms of getting either Jim Leonhard or Tom Allen to come to Los Angeles.

Stay with Trojans Wire for extensive coaching carousel coverage and analysis.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

Ohio State football coordinator Jim Knowles mentioned as good fit for ACC program

The coaching rumor mill is in full effect with Knowles name being circulated as a good fit for one ACC program. #GoBucks

It’s not just one Ohio State football coach teams are considering to lead their programs this offseason. A second name is being thrown out there.

Offensive line coach Justin Frye has been connected to the open Indiana head coaching position. Now defensive coordinator [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] has been mentioned as a potential fit to take over the Duke program.

The Blue Devils’ head coach Mike Elko left to take over Texas A&M, creating the vacancy. 247Sports Brad Crawford believes Knowles would be a fit considering he was a coordinator for Duke while David Cutcliffe was leading the program.

The key here is that “sources tell 247Sports they’re unsure if he’s interested in being a head coach at this stage of his career.”

Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Knowles is in his second season with the Buckeyes, who showed improvement but not quite enough to make it back to the Big Ten championship game.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Ohio State football defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is a Broyles Award semifinalist

The Buckeye DC has been great this season.

Over the last few years, the one aspect that has held Ohio State football back has been its defense.

Offensively, the Buckeyes have been outstanding during that stretch, but the defense has failed them. Last year it very well could have cost Ohio State a College Football Playoff notational title, and defensive coordinator [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] went to work this offseason to fix the issues.

It’s safe to say that he’s done what he set out to do. The Buckeyes are No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense, No. 3 in the country in total defense, No. 1 in team passing efficiency defense, No. 8 in third down conversion rate allowed — and the list goes on and on.

Knowles turnaround of the Buckeye defense has caught the eye of many, as he was named as a semi-finalist for the [autotag]Broyles Award[/autotag], given out annually to the top coordinator in the nation.

Ohio State has seen two of its previous assistants with this award, defensive coordinator Jim Heacock in 2007, and offensive coordinator Tom Herman in 2014. Hopefully Knowles makes it three later this year.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has high praise for Ohio State defense

The former Buckeye coach knows defense #GoBucks

The [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] defense was a liability last season, but they have made a complete reversal in it’s play this season.

The Buckeyes ranks among the nations best in points, and yards allowed, while the have done a fantastic job limiting big plays, which was their Achilles heel last season.

Many have noticed, and this week’s foe, Rutgers, definitely has. Head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag], a former Ohio State assistant, spoke extremely high about the Buckeye defense. He believes that “every single guy there will be an NFL player,” and not just the starters.

Schiano thinks that some of the backups will have the opportunity to play at the next level as well.

It’s high praise for a unit that needed to turn things around. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] deserves a lot of credit for doing just that in one offseason.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

How Big Ten and other coaches around the country reacted to Michigan’s sign stealing saga

Here’s how Big Ten coaches and others across the nation have reacted thus far when asked about Michigan and sign stealing allegations. #B1G

For almost a week now, [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag]’s main rival Michigan, has been in the midst of sign stealing allegations.

The accusations are fairly simple: Recruiting analyst, Connor Stalions, would visit upcoming Wolverine opponents, record their sideline signals, decode them, and stand extremely close to coaches on game days to help figure out what plays opponents would run.

That’s what is being alleged by and large anyhow before we get the benefit of anything that comes from an official investigation. So, patience Buckeye Nation before piling on, something not easy to do when brought up with the rivalry in The Game.

It’s a scheme that has seen more than a few coaches speak out on it, some with more intricate answers than others. Find out below what some Big Ten and other coaches around the country said regarding the most recent issues at Michigan. We have video, tweets in some cases, and a brief response for each.

Ohio State football offers in-state 2025 linebacker

The Bucks didn’t have to go far for this offer #GoBucks

The bye week has put a bit of fire under the [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] coaching staff when it comes to recruiting.

They were on the road last week visiting prospects, making evaluations on who deserves a scholarship offer, and who they need to see more one. Archbishop Hoban has a player who the Buckeye staff didn’t need to see anymore of, linebacker [autotag]Eli Lee[/autotag].

The class of 2025 prospect was offered on Wednesday after a conversation with defensive coordinator [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] and assistant linebackers coach, [autotag]James Laurinaitis[/autotag].

Lee current isn’t ranked in his class, but this offer should help with that in the future.

At the current moment, the Buckeyes have just one commit in the 2025 class, quarterback Tavien St. Clair.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

This stat shows how far Ohio State football’s pass defense has progressed

BIA is back in a big way #GoBucks

One of the biggest issues with last year’s [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] defense, was the inability to defend deep passes, it often would result in big plays that would be demoralizing to the unit.

Fast forward to the 2023 season and the Buckeyes seemingly have taken a massive step forward in that regard. Actually, it’s been the whole defense, but this was one area that many saw as a glaring weakness.

With a year under his belt, defensive coordinator [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] feels much more comfortable with his safety driven defense and as CFB Film Room points out, the Ohio State secondary has not allowed a single completion on a ball thrown over 20-yards this fall.

There are multiple factors as to why this is, beginning with improved safety play from [autotag]Lathan Ransom[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Proctor[/autotag]. The back end has been great, while the corners have seen a resurgence as well. [autotag]Denzel Burke[/autotag] is playing like an All-American, and [autotag]Jordan Hancock[/autotag] and [autotag]Davison Igbinosun[/autotag] has been extremely solid in their play as well.

Don’t forget about crediting the defense line, as it has produced the most pressure in the Big Ten through the Notre Dame game (this stat could have changed during the Buckeyes bye). It’s been a team effort to limit big plays through the air and it’s safe to say that Ohio State has been very successful in doing so.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Five Ohio State defenders poised for a breakout 2023 season

Who makes the leap for the Buckeye defense this year? #GoBucks

After looking at which [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] offensive players are primed for a breakout, it is time to give the other side of the ball the same treatment.

There are questions on this side of the ball for the Buckeyes, but they still return major contributors like defensive end J.T. Tuimoloua, and linebackers Tommy Eichenberg and [autotag]Steele Chambers[/autotag].

Defensive coordinator [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] is entering his second year at the position and there should be a jump in production from players for multiple reasons, such as experience in the system. Find out which five players I believe are going to explode on the scene in 2023.