Knowles was the architect of one of the nation’s top defenses at Oklahoma State.
New Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was named the 2021 FootballScoop Defensive Coordinator of the Year on Tuesday afternoon for his efforts at Oklahoma State this past season.
Under Knowles’ direction, the Cowboys were among the nation’s best in several statistical categories heading into bowl season, including first in sacks (55) and tackles for loss (113), second in third-down defense (26.1 percent conversion rate), third in total defense (278.4 yards per game), fifth in rushing defense (92.1 yards per game) and eighth in points per game (16.8).
The 56-year-old Knowles – who officially became the Buckeyes’ new defensive coordinator on Jan. 2 – was selected for the honor by previous winners, including Georgia head coach Kirby Smart (Alabama, 2009), Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio (Stanford, 2010), Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi (Michigan State, 2013) and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables (Clemson, 2015), among others.
Other finalists for this year’s award included Houston’s Doug Belk, Michigan’s Mike Macdonald, Wisconsin’s Jim Leonhard and Georgia’s Dan Lanning, who is now the head coach at Oregon.
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