‘He’s the best defensive coordinator in college football’ – Former NFL MVP is a big believer in Jim Knowles
New Tennessee Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles went to high school with a future NFL MVP.
New Tennessee Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is close friends with a former NFL MVP who played in one of the most memorable games in football history.
Knowles, who served as the Penn State Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator in 2025, was officially announced as Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator on Thursday.
Jim Knowles went to high school with Raiders legend Rich Gannon
Knowles, a former defensive end at Cornell, went to high school with former NFL MVP quarterback Rich Gannon at St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia.
The two have remained close friends over the years, according to The Athletic.
“He’s never forgotten where he’s come from,” said Gannon to The Athletic earlier this year. “He’s a blue-collar kid, his dad was a detective, and he came from a working-class family. He’s had to work at everything and create his own opportunities….He’s genuine.”
“He’s the best defensive coordinator in college football,” added Gannon. “If you watch his body of work and what he does situationally, how he utilizes personnel, you look at red zone defense, you look at third-down defense, some of his packages, his pressure schemes, how he attacks protections, he’s really good.”
Knowles, Gannon, and a couple of other friends from their St. Joe’s Prep days still get together every summer for an annual golf outing.
Gannon, who retired from the NFL after the 2004 season, was named the NFL MVP in 2002. Perhaps more notably, he was the other quarterback in the famous “tuck rule” game between the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots in the 2001-02 NFL playoffs.
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The Tennessee Vols officially hired Jim Knowles as their new defensive coordinator on Thursday.
