The OSU defeated HC Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns and a sea of orange-clad fans at the Cotton Bowl on Friday night in Arlington, thanks to another brilliant defensive effort. The Buckeyes won 28–14. In the CFP National Championship, the Buckeyes will now play the Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Following the win over Texas, OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles received a lot of attention for his team’s outstanding performance, which accomplished something that hadn’t been seen in a long time.

“Jim Knowles’ defense now has the best scoring defense (11.75 ppg) over 2-yr period of any DC in the last 12 years. These advanced stats are before tonight’s game. Remarkable!” On X, reporter Pete Roussel wrote. Knowles’ defensive team outperformed former Clemson DC Brent Venables, Iowa DC Phil Parker, and other Broyles Award winners, which honor the best assistant coach in CFB, in terms of statistics. On Friday night, Knowles’ Buckeyes maintained their dominating play, preventing all Longhorns players from reaching the end zone but for RB Jaydon Blue, who grabbed two TD passes. Right now, you might be curious to learn more about OSU’s exceptional DC. Scroll below and let’s find out.

How old is Jim Knowles? Is Jim Knowles married?

Knowles is 59 years old and a native of Philadelphia. Did you know he was a three-year letterman and All-Ivy League selection as a defensive end at Cornell? He graduated in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is married to Nancy, and the two have three children together—Halle, Luke, and Jack.

From 1988 to 1996, Knowles worked as an assistant coach at Cornell, where he started his coaching career. He assisted in guiding the squad to Ivy League titles in 1988 and 1990 during this time. From 2004 until 2009, he was back at Cornell as head coach, where he finished with a 26-34 record. For the first time in more than ten years, the program saw three straight seasons with a.500 or higher record under his direction, which breathed new life into the program.

In addition to this, Jim Knowles has a lengthy coaching career. You can find out much more about his coaching experience here.

The story of Jim Knowles’ coaching and his achievements

After attending Cornell, Knowles worked as a defensive coordinator at Western Michigan for a number of years, helping to significantly boost the team’s defensive output. Knowles was a member of Duke University’s coaching staff from 2010 to 2017, serving first as a safety coach and then as a defensive coordinator. Duke’s defense was among the best in the ACC while he was in charge.

Knowles continued to build his reputation as a defensive unit builder while serving as Oklahoma State University’s defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, prior to joining Ohio State in 2021. Knowles was the third-highest-paid assistant in college football in 2024, earning $2.2 million. He remains under contract through 2026.

Let’s now see if the DC can assemble a cohesive defensive team for OSU in their matchup with Notre Dame. Don’t miss this season’s last game!