According to Pete Thamel, Tennessee is closing in on hiring Jim Knowles as its next defensive coordinator. Knowles was a name to know from the start, and it was officially announced that Matt Campbell would not retain the veteran assistant coach on his year one staff.
Penn State would owe Knowles more than $7 million after poaching him away from Ohio State less than a year ago. It sounds like his next stop will be Knoxville.
Tennessee fired Tim Banks on Monday. Josh Heupel worked quickly here to identify his next target — a guy with a proven track record as a playcaller at multiple stops. Knowles will be 61 years old in April.
Multiple reports tied former Purdue head coach and current Washington defensive coordinator Ryan Walters to the job, but Walters says he never spoke to Tennessee. With official news breaking that Knowles would not be back in Happy Valley, Heupel moved quickly.
Tennessee finished 87th in total defense this season. Knowles led Penn State to a 34th place finish in his first season, one where James Franklin was let go early. Ohio State hired Knowles away from Oklahoma State after the 2021 season, where he had a ton of success. Knowles had a stop at Duke following a head coaching stint at Cornell.
