Knowles Headed to Ohio State - Goes to Work for Buckeyes Jan. 3
STILLWATER – Late this afternoon Ohio State University head coach Ryan Day announced that he had hired Jim Knowles as the new defensive coordinator for the Buckeyes. Day said that the current Buckeyes staff would coach the team in the Rose Bowl against Utah and that Knowles would begin his time at Ohio State on Jan. 3. A source told Pokes Report that Ohio State offered a multi-year contract at $2-million per year (actually $1.9-million plus a signing bonus).
Knowles actually told Pokes Report that he signed the contract with Ohio State via doc-u-sign while in Little Rock after the Broyles Award ceremony he attended on Tuesday.
The coach who became known as a mad scientist of defense has been at Oklahoma State for the past four seasons coming from Duke University was making $800,000 a year. Our sources told us that Oklahoma State had an offer on the table for five-years at $1.3-million per year and a total of $6.5-million for the entire contract.
Knowles was a finalist this season for the Frank Broyles Award for the top assistant coach or coordinator in Division I college football. Earlier on Tuesday that award was announced as going to Josh Gattis, the offensive coordinator and receivers coach at the University of Michigan.
Knowles had the defense rocking for the Cowboys this season and they shut out the last two opponents in the second half in both the Bedlam win and the Big 12 Championship loss to Baylor. The defense was in the top five in scoring defense this season, third in total defense, and first in both third down conversion defense and sacks as they finished with 55 sacks on the season.
Players like linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, safety Kolby Harvell-Peel, cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse, and defensive end Brock Martin made first-team All-Big 12.
Knowles is immensely popular and is a big reason why the Cowboys had success this season. Knowles came to Oklahoma State with his 4-2-5. After a season of getting beat up by Big 12 offenses, head coach Mike Gundy suggested that Knowles look at some alternative schemes. The most popular schemes were the 3-3-5 stack at West Virginia and the 3-3-5 (rush three, drop eight) scheme at Iowa State. Knowles incorporated some of both into his defense and forged a hybrid that got better and better until completely coming together this season.
Knowles defenses mixed up three and four-man fronts with a heavy dose of man coverage and lots of pressure.