Jim Knowles contract details with Ohio State released

The Ohio State Buckeyes were able to grab one of the hottest defensive coordinators on the market in Oklahoma State’s Jim Knowles. The Bryant Award finalist will be replacing Kerry Coombs after four seasons in Stillwater.

Knowles’ contract details with Ohio State have been released, securing a three-year contract the school released on Friday. The defensive coordinator will be making an average of $1.9 million a year or $5.7 million in total. The deal makes him the highest paid assistant coach in program history.

Since he took over in 2018, the Cowboys’ defenses have steadily improved under Knowles. During his first season in charge, they gave up an average of 32.5 points per game. This season, Knowles’ unit has the best scoring defense in the Big 12 at 16.8 points per game and nearly got them a conference championship.

Schools such as Penn State were also looking to hire Knowles, along with Oklahoma State attempting to give him a contract extension. However, Ohio State came out on top, getting a much-needed rebrand on the defensive end for head coach Ryan Day.

Additionally, Brett McMurphy of Stadium is reporting Knowles will not be coaching for Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame. He will take a break before heading to Colombus for the 2022 season.

More on Knowles

Knowles is a Cornell graduate who has made stops at his alma mater, Duke, Ole Miss, Western Michigan, and most recently Oklahoma State.

Former Duke head coach David Cutcliffe has long been a believer in the now Buckeye defensive coordinator, working with him at Ole Miss and Duke. With the SEC program, he served as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. Cutcliffe hired Knowles as the Blue Devils’ defensive coordinator in 2010. His defense took the program to their first bowl game in 18 years during the 2012 season.

Ohio State’s season ends after Michigan loss

Day has said multiple times as Ohio State’s head coach the most important thing to the program is beating Michigan. Their decade-long streak of beating the Wolverines came to an end on Nov. 27, dropping the game by double digits.

Ohio State’s defense was a major factor in both losses to Michigan and Oregon earlier in the season. The Buckeyes gave up 566 combined rushing yards in the two losses. Throughout the season, the secondary, where Coombs is also the defensive back coach, finished in the bottom three of the Big Ten.

After missing out on the College Football Playoff, Ohio State will face off against the Utah Utes in the Rose Bowl. It marks the program’s second appearance in the Grandaddy of them all over the past four seasons.