Tennessee’s search for its next defensive coordinator is expected to result in Jim Knowles, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.
“Sources: Penn State DC Jim Knowles is in process of negotiating his buyout from Penn State and is expected to land at Tennessee, which is targeting him as the school’s defensive coordinator hire,” Thamel announced on social media.
Knowles served as Penn State’s defensive coordinator in 2025 after serving int he same capacity at Ohio State from 2022-24.
He was also an assistant at Duke and Ole Miss under head coach David Cutcliffe.
Tennessee parted ways with Tim Banks after five seasons as defensive coordinator.
“I want to thank Tim for everything he has done for Tennessee the last five seasons,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. “He helped restore our program to national prominence. More importantly, Tim is a great man of character and someone I have the utmost respect for. We wish Tim all the best moving forward.
“These are tough decisions but one I ultimately felt was necessary for the future of our program. We are fully committed to identifying our next defensive coordinator who will uphold the standard that Tennessee has historically been known for.”
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Jim Knowles ‘expected to land at Tennessee’ after Penn State DC stint
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