‘I’m really content.’ A candidate for the Duke job, OSU DC Knowles is happy to remain a Buckeye.
Almost every assistant coach aspires to be a head coach, and Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles once held the top job at Cornell.
So when the Duke job opened a month ago, Knowles, a former Blue Devils assistant, was naturally intrigued.
Though not regarded as the front-runner, he was allegedly a candidate; instead, Duke signed Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.Knowles didn’t seem all that sad to be sticking at Ohio State.
Knowles declared on Tuesday that he was “very satisfied with where I’m at” as Ohio State was ready to play Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on Friday. “I no longer have the same desire that I had as a child to be the head coach, wherever that position may be. I don’t feel that; all I want to do is go run my own program.”
58-year-old Knowles oversaw Cornell, his former school, from 2004 to 2009. After that, he advanced to become an assistant coach. After the 2021 season, Ryan Day hired him, luring him away from Oklahoma State.
“I won’t discuss the Duke’s position specifically, but it’s a worthwhile inquiry to make when you get to my age,” Knowles remarked. “However, I’ve put in a lot of effort in my career to get to a position where you’re expected to succeed consistently or where you’re provided with the means to compete for the national championship each year.”
He claimed to have considered the advantages and disadvantages of becoming head coach of a lower program in comparison to what he has at Ohio State.
Knowles declared, “I think I’m in the best situation right now.” “I have to ask myself, ‘Why would I want to go someplace else?’ every time I look at that.” The best of the best is Ohio State.
“Yes, one of your goals as a young coach is to become the head coach, and I have achieved that. However, as a new coach, I could not have imagined anything better once you reach a situation where winning is expected, where it’s a purpose-driven program with a fantastic head coach who gets to run the defense.”
Knowles understands that he is the defense’s head coach, as Day has frequently referred to him.
“In this business, like in every job, it makes a significant difference between who you work for and who you work with,” he stated. “Coach Day is a football enthusiast. He knows what you’re good at. He is aware of your problems. He is aware of the rules of the game. You can always bounce ideas off each other because he is actively involved in the offense. He has trusted me to be wise enough and self-aware enough to recognize our shortcomings, address them, and avoid being egotistical while letting me do what I do and build the defense.
Ohio State had significant statistical improvement in 2022; yet, the Buckeyes lost out on Big Ten and national titles as a result of giving up big plays against Georgia and Michigan.
This year, the defense was excellent overall, but it did enable Michigan to score on all four of its second-half possessions (three field goals and a touchdown in the 30-24 loss to OSU). In terms of yards allowed per play (4.12) and points allowed (11 per game), Ohio State’s defense is ranked second.
Jack Sawyer, a junior defensive end, stated, “Obviously, coach Knowles is starting to construct a fairly good defense here with his plan.” “His return is really significant.” A D-coordinator transition is difficult to go through. Nobody enjoys doing that. You witnessed the drastic change in our circumstances from the first to the second year.
Sawyer is among the defense underclassmen who must choose whether to declare for the NFL draft, though it is anticipated that the majority will return.
“If everyone decides to come back, I still think we have a tremendous jump to make,” Sawyer remarked.
