Penn State’s Jim Knowles has emerged as Tennessee football’s top candidate to replace Tim Banks as defensive coordinator, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports.
Knowles is regarded as one of the best veteran defensive coordinators in college football. He coached Ohio State’s defense en route to the 2024 national title, which included a 42-17 win over Tennessee in a College Football Playoff first-round game.
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Thamel reported that Knowles is negotiating his buyout with Penn State, where he spent the 2025 season.
Knowles served as Duke defensive coordinator (2010-17) under former Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe. And he was Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator (2018-21) before a memorable stint at Ohio State (2022-24).
Apr 26, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles walks on the field prior to the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Tennessee fired Banks after Tennessee’s defense took a downward turn in 2025. The Vols allowed at least 30 points in seven of eight SEC games. They ranked 92nd nationally in scoring defense (28.8 ppg) and 116th in pass defense (248.8 ypg).
Coincidentally, Banks was Penn State’s defensive coordinator before Heupel hired him on his original UT staff in 2021.
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Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Jim Knowles emerges as Tennessee defensive coordinator candidate, per report
