COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day isn’t new to the idea that success comes with change, even if he doesn’t like it.
Three years ago, he hired Jim Knowles tasking him with the goal of not only fixing the defense but making it the nation’s best unit. Three years later Knowles has accomplished that goal as Buckeyes are the first national champions of the 12-team College Football Playoff era.
Now, Knowles has decided it’s time for a new challenge, so he is departing for Penn State. Left behind is Day, who will need to find his third defensive coordinator.
His first was Jeff Hafley as part of Day’s first staff coordinating a group that included All-Americans Chase Young and Jeff Okudah as the No. 2 and No. 3 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Hafley left for Boston College after just one season, opening the door for Kerry Coombs to return this time as a defensive coordinator.
The Buckeyes reached the title game in Year 1 despite a flawed group then took a significant step back in 2021 with so many younger players seeing the field. By the end of a 35-28 Week 2 loss to Oregon, Coombs was only a coordinator in name and paycheck as play-calling duties when to special teams coordinator-turned-safeties coach Matt Barnes.
Jim Knowles’ OSU defense by year:
YearPoints/GameYards/PlayPassing/AttemptRushing/Attempt202221.0 (24th)5.18 (37th)7.2 (T-66th)3.52 (25th)202311.2 (2nd)4.17 (3rd)5.0 (1st)3.44 (22nd)202412.9 (1st)4.19 (1st)6.0 (T-5th)2.65 (2nd)
The 2022 offseason provided Day a chance to press the reset button on his defense, bringing in Knowles who spent three years designing what is now a dominant defense. But he’s not sticking around for another reset.
Ohio State is losing eight of its 11 starters on defense. Caleb Downs was the only guaranteed returner given he’s only a sophomore. Davison Igbinosun and Sonny Styles will join him after putting off the NFL for another season in Columbus.
The 2025 defense will be inexperienced, but it won’t lack talent. The defensive line will feature four new starters with Kenyatta Jackson, Caden Curry, Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald the favorites to take over those spots. The back seven features a ton of young talent ready to step into the spotlight.
There are plenty of reasons why any coordinator would want to be in Columbus next season. But that person won’t be Knowles.
He was given a mission when he arrived in 2022. He’s completed that mission to success. Now he’ll move on to his next mission while Day tries to find the next defensive coordinator capable of maximizing the talent inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
When Knowles walks into Ohio Stadium on Nov. 1, he’ll do so as an opponent for the first time in his life.
