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Jim Knowles addresses Oklahoma speculation ahead of National Championship game
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Jim Knowles will coach Ohio State’s defense in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night. Ohio State is a large favorite, painted across the board as an 8-to-8.5-point favorite at most Ohio betting apps. And 2 days before the biggest game of his coaching career, he’s facing speculation that he might soon leave for another job.
During a media event on Saturday, Knowles was asked about rumors linking him to the vacant defensive coordinator job at the University of Oklahoma.
“Beat Notre Dame, that’s all I’m focused on,” he told CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. “These things happen, I guess, when you have success, players are making plays. My job is to put them in the best position. These things come up when you do well.”
Knowles is in his third season as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator. He was hired by coach Ryan Day in 2022 after 4 seasons coordinating the defense for OU’s in-state rival, Oklahoma State. This year, the Buckeyes lead the nation in yards per play allowed.
It’s natural that Knowles will be linked to other jobs. But the OU one is curious.
Former OU defensive coordinator Zac Alley left on Dec. 29 to take a job at West Virginia. After 1 season on Brent Venables’ staff, he jumped to Morgantown for a DC job with an assistant head coach title. Three weeks later, the Sooners’ DC job remains unfilled.
If Venables was actively scouring the market, some wonder if he wouldn’t have already landed on former Clemson assistant Wes Goodwin, who worked with Venables during his time with the Tigers. For reference, Venables hired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle 2 days after Washington State’s regular season ended.
The circumstances there were somewhat different, as Venables had fired his play-caller during the season. Nevertheless, the longer the OU job stays open, the more it seems Venables is waiting on someone.
Oklahoma’s job has to be an attractive one — a coordinator position in the SEC at a blue-blood institution. It’s not far-fetched to think the Sooners would have a chance to poach an assistant from a program as renowned as Ohio State.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.