Tennessee to Hire Penn State’s Jim Knowles as Defensive Coordinator

Image: Matthew O’Haren

By Aidan Sidoti

What an outstanding hire by Josh Heupel.

Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is negotiating his buyout from the Nittany Lions and is expected to become Tennessee’s next defensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Knowles spent just one season in State College, where his defense allowed 21.4 points per game, eighth in the Big Ten, and 179.5 passing yards allowed per game, ranking sixth in the conference.

His brief tenure at Penn State followed a highly successful three-year run at Ohio State, where he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2024.

That 2024 Ohio State defense was utterly dominant, finishing first nationally in scoring defense, total defense, yards allowed per play, touchdowns allowed per play, and opponent touchdowns scored in the red zone. 

The unit also ranked second in sacks, passing touchdowns allowed per game, and opponent red zone scoring percentage, while placing third in rushing defense, passing defense, and sacks per game.

Before his time in Columbus, Knowles built a reputation at Oklahoma State, serving as defensive coordinator from 2018-21.

His defenses improved steadily each season, peaking in 2021 when the Cowboys led the Big 12 in sacks and ranked top-five nationally in tackles for loss, third-down defense, total defense, and rushing defense.

For Tennessee, the hire represents a major reset after parting ways with Tim Banks following five seasons.