Tag: Jim Knowles

When will Penn State hire a defensive coordinator?

It has been nearly two weeks since Penn State lost Tom Allen to Clemson. Is a new hire coming soon?

Penn State has been on the lookout for a new defensive coordinator for the past two weeks. That is how long ago Tom Allen decided to leave Penn State after one year to become the defensive coordinator at Clemson. So what exactly has been taking Penn State so long to name his replacement on James Franklin’s staff?

The speculation has been that Penn State has its eyes set on Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. If that is the big fish Penn State is trying to lure, the delay in naming a new defensive coordinator makes sense as Knowles has been a bit preoccupied up until this week coaching the Ohio State defense on a run to a national championship. If Penn State is able to bring Knowles over from Columbus, that would be a massive pull for Franklin and the Nittany Lions. Reports have suggested Penn State is offering Knowles a hefty contract to take on coaching the Penn State defense, and a decision from Knowles on his future could come as early as this weekend. Penn State is expected to be in the mix. But Penn State has some beefy competition for one of the top defensive minds in the college game.

Notre Dame is also one of those schools hoping to bring Knowles to their staff. The Fighting Irish are looking to replace former Penn Stater Al Golden after Golden left his position as defensive coordinator in South Bend it return to the NFL as the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. Oklahoma is also rumored to be pursuing Knowles and Ohio State is hoping to bring him back as well as they prepare to defend their national title status in 2025.

Penn State has certainly made some high-quality hires as defensive coordinator since having to go outside of Franklin’s coaching staff to find a replacement. Following the departure of longtime Franklin assistant Brent Pry to be the head coach at Virginia Tech, Penn State has hired Manny Diaz and Tom Allen. Both coordinators did extremely well in crafting one of the top defenses in the Big Ten. If Knowles does not come to Happy Valley, there is reason to believe Penn State will have a good candidate lined up.

The backup plan may be promoting from within. Anthony Poindexter would be a popular name within the program. The safeties coach has been a co-defensive coordinator for Franklin and would be a natural fit to take over the role as a solid alternative to Knowles.

For now, do not expect Penn State to announce anything until Knowles decides what he wants to do. If Penn State does make an announcement that does not include Knowles, that would suggest Penn State was informed Knowles will be going elsewhere or staying put with the Buckeyes.

In any event, we could be nearing a decision on who will run the defense in 2025 in a matter of days.

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Could Notre Dame replace Al Golden with its College Football Playoff opponent’s elite defensive coordinator?

Would be crazy if the rumors are true

The news that Notre Dame football defensive coordinator Al Golden was taking the Cincinnati Bengals DC position left the Irish with a fairly sizable hole.

Late Thursday night, a juicy rumor about who coach Marcus Freeman could be bringing in started circulating social media. Football Scoop’s John Brice and Zach Barnett wrote that the Irish are looking at Ohio State [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] as a possible replacement for Golden.

Previous rumors had connected Knowles to Oklahoma, but some of those have died down since the weekend. The new rumors have Penn State being a player with Notre Dame entering the mix as well.

The key in this situation is what Ohio State will end up doing. It’s fairly obvious that they’d like to keep Knowles, but he’s clearly flirting with other schools, and potentially making a play to earn more with the Buckeyes.

Time will tell what exactly happens with Knowles, but Freeman is doing the right thing by gauging the interest of one of the top defensive minds in football.

Jan. 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles celebrates after winning against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Legendary head coach believes Jim Knowles hire would be a ‘home run’

Former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops shared his thoughts on the potential of bringing Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Norman.

The Oklahoma Sooners and head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] are still looking to fill out their coaching staff heading into the 2025 season.

The defensive coordinator/linebackers coach spot is still vacant, as Venables has yet to replace the departed Zac Alley. Alley took a very similar role at West Virginia back in December. Venables has both internal options and external options to fill the defensive coordinator role with coaches who coach various positions.

The biggest name that keeps coming up is Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. He’s fresh off of a national championship victory on Monday night, as the Buckeyes won the inaugural expanded playoff title game.

Knowles responded to rumors about OU’s interest last week.

“Beat Notre Dame; that’s all I’m focused on,” Knowles said. “These things happen, I guess, when you have success. Players are making plays; my job is to put them in the best position. These things come up when you do well.”

Well now that the Buckeyes did, in fact, beat the Fighting Irish, the noise around Knowles coming to Norman will only intensify. Knowles didn’t coach linebackers in Columbus this season, but he did in his first two seasons on Ryan Day’s staff, and at Oklahoma State under Mike Gundy for four seasons from 2018-2021. He has been the defensive play-caller throughout his time in Columbus and in Stillwater as well.

At least one powerful voice in Oklahoma Sooners Football thinks that a Venables-Knowles defensive partnership would be very beneficial in Norman.

Former head coach and hall of famer [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] was a guest on KREF earlier this week and was asked about his thoughts on the Knowles rumors. A defensive expert who knows a thing or two about hiring good coordinators on both sides of the ball, Stoops endorsed the possible move.

“I really hope it’s true,” Stoops said. “It would’ve surprised me, I said that I think last week, but the fact that he hasn’t said that there’s nothing to it by now, then there has to be something to it, which is great … I think it would be a home run. I think it’s a fantastic hire.”

A Knowles hire would take a lot of pressure off of Venables. He’d have coveted coordinators on both offense and defense. He added [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] to the staff in December as the new offensive coordinator. It would allow Venables to serve in even more of a “CEO” role, overseeing everything within the program with an excellent play-caller like Knowles running the defense. Knowles being the DC would also prevent a shuffling of position coaches, as he can slide into Alley’s old role coaching linebackers. He’d be a proven upgrade over the still young Alley.

It’s all rumors at this point, but Knowles certainly didn’t deny that the Sooners had real interest. He did get high praise from his boss for the last three seasons, as the newly-minted championship head coach, Ryan Day, spoke glowingly of his DC on media day.

“Jim Knowles is the best defensive coordinator in the country,” Day said. “I think what he’s done this season and how he’s built it over the years has been tremendous.”

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Ohio State football one of 12 Power 4 programs in this crucial defensive stat

Ohio State football had a dominant 52-6 win to open the season, and its defense was among the most impressive in the country.

Ohio State football had an explosive offensive showing in its Week 1 win over the Akron Zips.

Winning 52-6, the Buckeyes struggled to get going early, having been up just 7-3 at the end of the first, but they figured things out and really started to put it on the MAC side.

While Ohio State’s offense will be what most talked about, it is the defense that might be the more potent side. The Buckeyes defense was among the best in the country last season and had a dominant Week 1 start.

Ohio State gave up just 2.8 yards per play, the 8th-best mark in the Power 4. While LSU and and USC are still set to play, given the high-profile nature of both offenses, neither defense is expected to be on this list.

The Buckeyes didn’t play a capable offense like they will later in the season, but their defense got in the end zone twice and displayed why they should be considered an elite unit. While the linebacking unit is strong, the defensive line and secondary are what make this well-oiled machine work at its best.

Ohio State had two interceptions and five sacks. The leaders of the respective units, JT Tuimoloau and Lathan Ransom, combined for 1.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for a loss and a touchdown.

Expect the Buckeyes defense to continue to drastically limit opponents moving forward, especially with Western Michigan on the docket for Week 2.

Jim Knowles thinks safety, linebacker depth will be Ohio State’s main weakness

Ohio State will have a slew of players returning on the defensive side of the ball, and safety depth is the only thing worrying Jim Knowles. #GoBucks

The Ohio State Buckeyes are poised to have one of the best defenses in the nation.

Last season, they were good, and this season, they’re expected to be even better. Ohio State is returning many key starters, including safety Lathan Ransom, who was among the key secondary leaders.

While he and Caleb Downs will main the free and strong safety position, the depth behind them should injuries set in throughout the long season is what is on defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ mind.

Knowles sat down with the Columbus Dispatch’s Bill Rabinowitz and spoke on everything defense. Here’s an interesting part where he touched base on where the weakness of this formidable unit could lie.

“No. I think depth at safety − it’s going to be a long season − and development of those linebackers that have not played a lot of that position (is an issue),” Knowles said. “Sonny is making the transition. C.J. has been developing for two years and has to be the guy this year along with Sonny, so we need to get those guys on the field and going. Then who’s next at linebacker − Gabe Powers, Arvell Reese – already capable guys. And then the depth of safety. We’ve got Caleb Downs, who’s a great player with a great football mind and football intelligence. And Lathan (Ransom) is back. Who’s going to step up behind them? Malik Hartford, (Jayden) Bonsu, Keenan (Nelson Jr.) our transfer from South Carolina. So the depth at safety and linebacker (is a concern) because it’s a long season.”

Overall, Ohio State, who sat atop the nation in opponents passing yards last season, don’t have a ton to worry about. The defensive unit is strong, and the front should allow little time for receivers to get open regardless.

However, if there is one weak point, it’ll be safety depth. That said, let’s hope that isn’t one tested this upcoming season.

Jim Knowles on Ohio State defense: “We can do anything”

Jim Knowles is entering his third season as the Buckeyes defensive coordinator and has high expectations for the defense. #GoBucks

Jim Knowles sat down with the Columbus Dispatch recently, and the Ohio Sate football defensive coordinator heaped praise on his side of the ball, suggesting there is no ceiling.

He has high expectations for his side of the ball as the former Cornell defensive end enters his third season with the Buckeyes.

“There’s no limits to how good we can be. We can do anything. Last year in Year 2, we moved into what I would say would be considered a top-five defense,” Knowles said via Columbus Dispatch’s Bill Rabinowitz. “Not in all categories, but in a significant number of categories. That’s what we say means to be a Silver Bullet defense, to be a top-five defense. Ultimately, you’d like to be top five in every single category. That’s not impossible. It’s really not.”

Building on last season won’t be easy. The Buckeyes allowed 145.9 passing yards per game, the fewest in the nation. They also allowed just a 52.7% completion rate.

With many starters back and numerous players getting more experience, Knowles is right, and the ceiling might not have a roof. That said, while it sounds impossible, top five in every category might be doable for this unit.

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.

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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.

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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.

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