Jim Knowles officially named as Tennessee's defensive coordinator

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Jim Knowles has officially been announced as the Tennessee Volunteers‘ newest defensive coordinator.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel recently announced the news of Knowles’ hire a year after Knowles was hired by the Nittany Lions. He brings with him 38 years of experience to Knoxville, with his last four years coming in the Big Ten. Still, Penn State fans will feel frustrated that he ultimately did not pan out.

“Hiring Jim Knowles was our top priority from the start of this process,” Heupel said of the hire. “Jim has a proven track record of developing elite defenses that play with an edge, and we got to see that first-hand during the 2024 College Football Playoff. His defenses are always physical, well prepared and can adapt quickly in-game against today’s complex offenses”. He has overseen several top 15 defenses over the last six years with three of those defenses finishing in the top four.

Before his unsuccessful stint with Penn State, he was a national champion with the Ohio State Buckeyes, and had previously coordinated with Oklahoma State, Duke, and West Michigan. He was also the head coach of his alma mater Cornell in the early 2000s.

His Ohio State defense that won him the national title has been his greatest achievement to date. They were first in scoring defense, total defense, and yards allowed per play. He had a six game stretch in which his defense allowed fewer than 21 points, including three straight in the CFP before the national title game.

The Volunteers hope that much like his previous successful tenures, he can immediately improve their defense. The Volunteers severely underperformed on that side of the ball, ranking 87th nationally and third to last in the SEC in points allowed. While Knowles was not much better at Penn State, his pedigree certainly speaks for itself.

“I am excited for this opportunity to work with Coach Heupel and represent Vol Nation,” Knowles said. Hopefully it works out for both sides as the Nittany Lions enter the Matt Campbell era.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Jim Knowles officially named as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator

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