Nothing is official yet, but the Tennessee Vols appear to be on the verge of hiring Jim Knowles to replace Tim Banks as the program’s defensive coordinator.

Knowles was the defensive coordinator at Ohio State from 2022 to 2024 before taking over as the defensive coordinator at Penn State in 2025.

The Buckeyes won a national championship last season with Knowles as their defensive coordinator. Ohio State had the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation in 2024.

A deal at Tennessee is not finalized, per sources. But Knowles has emerged as the target and that's his expected landing spot. CBS first linked Knowles and Tennessee. Penn State owes him more than $7 million on the two years remaining on his deal, per his contract.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 10, 2025

Hiring Knowles would be a huge move for Josh Heupel and the Vols (if a deal gets finalized), but it would also come with a big concern.

Jim Knowles’ defenses are known for being very complicated

Knowles has been described by players as an “evil genius.” The Philadelphia native has as much defensive knowledge as anyone in the sport, but his system can be complicated for players to learn.

“It’s complicated. It’s very complicated,” said Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith of Knowles’ defense in October.

Former Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin made a similar comment before he was fired by Penn State.

“I think the first thing is, there have been obviously some adjustments to what we’re doing on defense, and getting our guys to play confident within the system is still a work in progress,” said Franklin in early October. “I don’t think that’s a question. We’re not playing as fast, as aggressive as we have in the past on the defensive side of the ball.”

Jim Knowles is aware his defense can be complicated to learn

Knowles doesn’t disagree that his defense can be complicated, which is why he’s made efforts to teach his system in a way that allows players to have success quickly.

“Yes to both,” said Knowles in August when asked if his defense is complicated and takes time to learn. “I think in today’s game of football, it needs to be somewhat complicated because you need to have answers for everything — particularly at this level. Offenses don’t run the same things in college. You better have all different kinds of answers. 

“For teaching and installing, I’ve gotten better at it, I’ve had to particularly when you come into a situation like this. Our charge is to be great now. If it’s too complicated, or if I can’t get it installed quickly, that’s my fault. I think I’ve developed a process that help move it along at a more rapid pace.”

If Tennessee finalizes a deal with Knowles, the expectation is that Tennessee’s defense will show instant improvement next fall. Obviously, the defense should improve the longer Knowles is at Tennessee, and the more experience that players have in it. But fans won’t be patient next season — they’ll want to see positive results quickly.

Fortunately for the Vols, it sounds like Knowles is actively working to make his defense easier for players to pick up.