Oklahoma Sooners just lost out on what was always going to be a pipe dream for the football program
This entire offseason there has been a pipe dream for the Oklahoma Sooners. In other words, there was fuel to a fire that was never truly going to be lit. All of these people with sources inside the OU media were saying there was a legitimate chance that the football program would land an elite […]
This entire offseason there has been a pipe dream for the Oklahoma Sooners. In other words, there was fuel to a fire that was never truly going to be lit.
All of these people with sources inside the OU media were saying there was a legitimate chance that the football program would land an elite name for their coaching staff. And, sure, there was a chance, but we all knew it was never really going to happen.
This offseason the biggest rumor was that Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who just coached the best defense in the country and won a National Championship, would be leaving OSU. And, that just seemed crazy. He has it made there, with unlimited recruiting tools and money, and he gets to call the shots.
But, OU media insisted that Oklahoma had a chance at landing him. He has family ties to the state of Oklahoma. And, he was genuinely interested. But, I always looked at this entire situation as a leverage situation — he wanted more money from Ohio State, or anyone else that would give it to him. And, that's not entirely a bad thing, go get your money, man.
But now it's official that he won't be joining the Sooners.
Jim Knowles joins Penn State
According to Toby Rowland, a well-known source in the OU circle, the Ohio State defensive coordinator will not stay put, and he won't be joining the Oklahoma Sooners. Instead, he's heading to Pennsylvania, where he will be the defensive coordinator at Penn State, getting paid $3 million. Knowles is from the Philly area.
Now, this doesn't mean anything bad for the Sooners. The fact that they were even in consideration is huge for what the outlook of their program is. In fact, guys like Bob Stoops have said that the Sooners will have a win-win situation even if they don't get Knowles.
Venables will find the right guy to hire for the position. And, whether it's him calling the defense or someone else, I'm confident the defense will still be good.
Former Oklahoma Sooners special teams player finds a new home through the transfer portal and a place where he can shine
The Sooners got their guy, too.
