Tennessee is targeting Penn State’s Jim Knowles to be its defensive coordinator and is expected to finalize a deal soon, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Knowles, in his first season at Penn State, is not being retained by new Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell. Knowles came to Penn State from national champion Ohio State as the linchpin of coach James Franklin’s 2025 staff and received a three-year contract that made him one of the nation’s highest-paid assistants at $3.1 million annually. But Penn State fired Franklin just six games into the season.
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Tennessee fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks on Monday after five seasons with the school. Banks was a finalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant, last season and received a contract through the 2027 campaign. But the Vols regressed on defense this fall, slipping to 113th nationally against the pass and allowing 33 or more points seven times, including 45 to Vanderbilt during a loss in the regular-season finale.
CBS first reported Knowles as a potential target for the Tennessee job.
He was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2021, when he served as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator. He then moved to Ohio State, where his 2024 defense led the nation in fewest points allowed and fewest yards allowed. This season under Knowles, Penn State ranks 34th nationally in yards allowed and 37th in points allowed.
Knowles, 60, has also held coordinator roles at Duke and Western Michigan, and served as Cornell’s coach from 2004 to 2009.
