Tag: Jim Knowles

Talented four-star edge and Oklahoma target Derion Gullette names Top 7

Brent Venables leads the recruitment for 2023 four-star Derion Gullette who just announced his Top 7 schools featuring the Sooners.

While the Oklahoma Sooners have two edge prospects that they are favoring in Bai Jobe and Adepoju Adebawore, the Sooners don’t seem to be willing to put all their eggs in those baskets too early. It’s a primary reason why they are still in the running for talented four-star EDGE Derion Gullette out of Marlin, Texas.

Gullette confirmed as much when he released his top seven schools and it featured the likes of Oklahoma along with Florida, Ohio State, Alabama, Miami, Texas, and Texas A&M. Gullette’s primary recruiter from Oklahoma is none other than the head man himself Brent Venables.

 

Gullette has been to OU once already this year for the March 5th Junior Day and will be making another trip to Oklahoma for the ChampU BBQ along with a slew of other Oklahoma targets.

Gullette plays linebacker for his high school but looks to be a versatile tweener that can put his hand in the ground to rush the passer and play off-ball linebacker. Gullette is a talented athletic prospect whose best football is likely in front of him as he hones in on a position.

He was a Class 3A first-team all-state selection at both WR and punter by the Texas Sportswriters Association all while being recruited by some of the biggest schools in the country as a linebacker/EDGE defender.

No decision date has been announced but with official visits to Texas and Ohio State along with his official to OU in June, it stands to reason that his recruitment is slowly coming to an end.

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Jim Knowles sure seems to love being at Ohio State

Do you think Jim Knowles is happy to be the defensive coordinator at Ohio State?

New Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles met with the media after the Buckeyes’ first day of spring practice on Tuesday and his energy and insightfulness were as advertised.

Knowles came to Columbus from Oklahoma State, and despite the Cowboys having a pretty good program, there are, of course, some differences. According to Knowles, coaching at Ohio State affords a coach more resources and support than many other places in America, and said having all of that at his disposal is a dream come true.

“It’s different because it’s The Ohio State,” Knowles told reporters Tuesday.” It’s different because everything here, the expectations, the amount of resources that I have with coaches on the field, analysts off the field, recruiting resources — I basically have everything I ever wanted, everything any coach could ever want. You know, when you dream about being a coach at this level, that’s it.”

Check out the video and sound from Adam King of WBNS 10TV in Columbus.

Again, it’s not like things were bare-bones in Stillwater, it’s just that the business of college football on the banks of the Olentangy is different. It’s clear that Ohio State is happy to have one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, and the affinity Knowles has for what Ohio State offers appears to be mutual.

Now, let’s see how it all translates on the field of play.

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Ohio State football assistant coaching after changes this offseason

Here’s what Ohio State football’s coaching staff looks like after all the changes in the offseason. #GoBucks

If you thought you knew the assistant coaches that Ryan Day had on staff, think again. There were some pretty significant overhauls that took place after the regular season and after the exhilarating win in the Rose Bowl, so what we thought we knew has changed drastically.

There aren’t too many places in the country where you’ll see so many changes with the assistant coaches after an 11-win season that included a division title, Rose Bowl victory, and top-five finish in the polls, but that’s not the case at Ohio State. Ryan Day hasn’t been afraid of pulling the trigger on changes to make things even better and back at a championship level. Settling for anything less than the best just doesn’t cut it.

But yeah, it was a little dizzying to say the least, and we’re here to try and sort it all out for you. Here is a list of the ten official assistant coaches and their duties now that we believe all the dust has settled on what this staff will look like at Ohio State. We throw in Mickey Marotti as the man handling all the strength and conditioning of the program. He doesn’t count against the ten assistants allowed by the NCAA.

Three veteran Buckeye defenders decide to return to Ohio State for 2022

A trio of OSU defenders returning for another year provide a big boost for the Ohio State defense going into 2022.

The Ohio State defense got some good news this week when it was reported that Teradja Mitchell, Jerron Cage, and Palaie Gaoteote will all be returning to Columbus for another year. All three were eligible to leave for the NFL, but have decided to run it back one more time.

Even with a talented crop of new recruits coming in, these three returners will provide veteran leadership as well as much-needed depth on the defensive side of the ball. Jim Knowles must be making a big impression on what the defense can look like in the coming season. And clearly, the brotherhood is strong.

Let’s take a look at what each one brings to the table heading into the 2022 season.

New Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to make $1.9 million annually in three-year deal

That’s a lot of coin. #GoBucks

Ohio State shelled out a lot of money to try and fix the woes on defense the last couple of seasons. According to information obtained from a public records request by Eleven Warriors, OSU will pay former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles $1.9 million annually in a three-year contract.

For comparison’s sake, that’s the most money Ohio State has ever paid an assistant coach yearly without incentives. The terms would have been the fourth most lucrative of any assistant in college football last season, eclipsed only by Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables ($2,500,000.00), Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott ($2,125,000.00), and Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko ($2,100.000.00). Both Venables and Elliott have both accepted head coaching positions elsewhere just recently, so take that for what it’s literally worth.

But it’s not just base salary. The contract also has incentives for team performance as most contracts do. He could make up to an additional $726,750.00 if OSU wins the Big Ten championship and plays in the College Football Playoff Championship game.

Here’s how the incentives all break down according to the documents obtained by Eleven Warriors:

  • Big Ten East Title: 8.5% of base salary ($161,500)
  • Big Ten Championship Title: 4.25% of base salary ($80,750)
  • College Football Playoff Bowl Game Appearance: 17% of base salary ($323,000)
  • Non-College Football Playoff Bowl Game Appearance and 9 Wins: 4.25% of base salary ($80,750)
  • College Football Playoff Semifinal Appearance: 21.25% of base salary ($403,750)
  • College Football Playoff Final Appearance: 25.5% of base salary ($484,500)

That’s a lot of money, and no matter how you look at it, Ohio State head coach and athletic director Gene Smith are serious about bringing in coaches at the highest expense with deep pockets to get things where they believe they should be. The days of being penny-pinchers with assistant coaches’ salaries in Columbus are gone.

To win championships, you have to pay great coaches. After the first loss to Michigan in eight tries, and missing the College Football Playoff for the first time in three years, the Buckeye brass looks like it’s serious about getting back on top.

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Get to know new Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles thanks to Oklahoma State video

Get to know knew Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles thanks to a video production done by Oklahoma State.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day wasted no time trying to address the leaks that have seemingly sprung out of the OSU defense over the last couple of seasons. With as explosive as an offense as what the Buckeyes have, just having a consistent, decent defense would be enough to continue to have Ohio State playing for pretty special things. Heck, it would probably be in the College Football Playoff right now.

To plug and mud those leaks, Day has turned to former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, hiring him to the same post in Columbus. All Knowles did was come in and make the Cowboys’ defense improve each of his three years in Stillwater, to the point where it was one of the best in the country last season. Oklahoma State led the nation in sacks (54) and tackles for loss (113), was No. 3 overall in yards surrendered per game (278.4), and eighth in scoring defense (16.8) in 2021.

And all of that … in a conference that has a lot of explosive offenses and looks at defense as an optional part of American football in some cases. But who is Knowles? Not the stats and bios you’ve seen. Who is he really, as a person?

Good thing for you, Oklahoma State has a video on its YouTube Channel that answers that very question pretty well. And … since we’re now interested in the man charged with resurrecting OSU’s defense to a silver bullet level, we thought you might be interested as well.

Watch the below and find out what his players thought of Knowles, what kind of things he likes, and even some quirks that he has as a part of his personality.

I have to admit. I knew very little of Knowles other than what you see from the sideline and how his defense carried itself at Oklahoma State, but he seems like a genuine, yet focused and aggressive players’ coach that’s going to fit in very well on the banks of the Olentangy.

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Five things to know about new Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles

Get to know new Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Here are five things to help you get up to speed.

In case you haven’t heard, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has made a bold move to try and sure up the defensive side of the ball. On Tuesday, OSU announced the hiring of Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to the same post with the Buckeyes.

The news is particularly notable because Knowles ran things on defense for a traditionally defense optional Big 12 program, Oklahoma State, and made it a strength of the team. Right or wrong, the Buckeyes have been seen as a team that has eschewed defense over the last couple of years in exchange for being an offensively dynamic program under Day.

We can all get a little caught up in our own little piece of the college football world and revolve our news around Ohio State, so we thought we’d provide you with some things that are helpful to know about Knowles to help you get up to speed.

Here are five things to know about new OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who will begin his new assignment after the Rose Bowl.

Ohio State hires Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to same position in Columbus

Ryan Day isn’t wasting any time trying to correct the issues on the defensive side of the ball. What do you think of this hire?

Ohio State is bringing in Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to be its defensive coordinator according to a statement from Ryan Day through an OSU spokesman.

“I have offered a position on the Ohio State football staff to Oklahoma State University defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and he has accepted it,” Day said in a statement. “Starting Jan. 2, Knowles will be the Buckeyes’ new defensive coordinator. What is most important at this time is that we put our players in the best position possible to finish this season with a win in the Rose Bowl. To that end, we will continue our planning and preparation for the game with our current staff of 10 assistant coaches.”

You had a feeling news like this would be coming sooner rather than later as schools shuffle coaching staffs and duties as the carousel turns at the end of the regular season. For Day and the program, the move is an opportunity to shore up a side of the ball that let it down significantly in some key contests this past season, most notably in two losses to Oregon and … yes, Michigan.

Knowles led a Cowboys’ defense that ranks third in the nation in yards allowed per game (278.4) and is a top ten unit in points allowed per contest (16.8) this season. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award that goes to college football’s best assistant coach annually.

We’ll have more on this development as details emerge.

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Scratch another name off Penn State’s options at defensive coordinator

Penn State continues to search for a new defensive coordinator, and Ohio State just added one of the best on the market.

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With Virginia seemingly likely to be preparing to hire Penn Stae co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter to be its next head coach, Penn State continues to be on the prowl for a new defensive coordinator. And one of the names that had been thrown out as a potential target by some is already on the move to his new job. And it’s to Ohio State.

Jim Knowles, who had been the heralded defensive coordinator for Oklahoma State, is heading to Columbus to take on the role of defensive coordinator for Ohio State. From one OSU to another, Knowles will begin in his new role with Ohio State after Ohio State’s bowl game, allowing the current staff to remain in charge of the defense.

Interestingly, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has not made any cuts to his current staff, so it would seem someone is about to move to a new role, or Day foresees one of his assistants leaving for another opportunity and the addition of Knowles now ensures Ohio State’s staff will be relatively stable in any transition.

Larry Johnson to Penn State to be a defensive coordinator? Some will dream of this, for sure.

Knowles, a Pennsylvania native, had been mentioned by some as a potential candidate to take on the role of defensive coordinator at Penn State. Whether he was ever on the radar of Penn State or head coach James Franklin for the position is unknown, but it not at all comforting knowing Penn State’s biggest obstacle just secured one of the top defensive coordinator on the market at a time it has already lost Brent Pry to a head coaching job at Virginia Tech and Poindexter could be on the move to Virginia at any moment.

For now, the search continues for Franklin and Penn State. One name to keep an eye on may be Manny Diaz. Diaz was removed as head coach at Miami this week to allow the Hurricanes to hire Oregon‘s Mario Cristobal as his replacement. Miami bought out Diaz’s contract for $8 million, making Diaz a free agent. How quickly he returns to coaching remains to be seen, especially with an $8 million buyout to fall back on at least for a season.

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Around the Big 12: Oklahoma State DC heads to Ohio State, the battle for Quinn Ewers

The last week has been a crazy one for several Big 12 football programs.

Stay up to date with the latest happenings surrounding Big 12 athletics. Continue reading “Around the Big 12: Oklahoma State DC heads to Ohio State, the battle for Quinn Ewers”