‘He doesn’t like the messaging that came out of his experience at Penn State’ – Jim Knowles may have a chip on his shoulder with Vols
The Tennessee Vols officially hired Jim Knowles as their new defensive coordinator on Thursday.
The Tennessee Vols hired Jim Knowles to replace Tim Banks as UT’s defensive coordinator on Thursday.
Knowles will come to Rocky Top a calendar year after winning a national championship, yet still in need of a narrative change.
Penn State hired Knowles away from Ohio State earlier this year, shortly after the Buckeyes won the national championship, in a move that was considered an offseason blockbuster.
Knowles’ lone season in Penn State, however, didn’t go as expected.
Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin was fired after a 3-3 start to the season. Knowles’ defense, meanwhile, was heavily criticized for being too “complicated” for players to quickly learn.
“It’s complicated. It’s very complicated,” said then Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith of Knowles’ defense in October.
Penn State finished with the No. 37 scoring defense in the nation in 2025.
Jim Knowles is motivated to change the narrative around his defense
Former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, a Virginia native who played for the Nittany Lions from 2013 to 2015, shared some thoughts on Wednesday on Tennessee’s hiring of Knowles.
“We had Jim Knowles this past year as our defensive coordinator,” said Hackenberg. “And frankly, the experiment as the highest-paid defensive coordinator didn’t quite pan out the way I think anybody expected. With that being said, [Knowles is] without a doubt a really, really good defensive mind. His resume speaks for itself — he won a national championship at Ohio State.
“However, a ton of the feedback is that it’s a very complex defense. So the quicker that these guys can get ingrained in that throughout spring ball and into training camp, the better for the Tennessee Volunteers. But I look for this to be a great opportunity for Jim Knowles to bounce back. I know he doesn’t like the messaging that has come out of his experience at Penn State. So like all competitors, I expect him to really be motivated to put his best foot forward with this opportunity down in Knoxville.”
It certainly sounds like Knowles will be motivated to change the perception of his defense.
And the good news for the Vols is that he’s well aware players need to pick up his scheme quicker, which should lead to quicker success on Rocky Top.