After Tennessee football’s defense took a dramatic step back in 2025, Josh Heupel fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks and replaced him with well-respected and national champion coordinator Jim Knowles. Now, after attacking the transfer portal, workouts have begun as Knowles and company prepare for spring camp.
As the calendar flips to February, popular podcast host Mike ‘SEC Mike‘ Bratton of ‘That SEC Podcast‘ revealed his rankings of the 16 defensive coordinators in the SEC.
In his rankings, Knowles clocked in as the No. 8 defensive coordinator in the conference. This slots him in the top half of the SEC.
Knowles trails Oklahoma’s Brent Venables, Auburn’s DJ Durkin, Mississippi State’s Zach Arnett, Texas’ Will Muschamp, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, Alabama’s Kane Wommack and Missouri’s Corey Batoon.
2026 SEC Defensive Coordinator Rankings pic.twitter.com/xgVDa8TV33
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) February 1, 2026
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Knowles joins Tennessee after one season at Penn State. It was a nightmare season for PSU, but the defense was far from the primary problem. The Nittany Lions ranked 34th in the country in yards allowed per game at 334.3 in 2025. As far as points allowed, his group gave up 21.42 per game, which was 37th in the country.
“Hiring Jim Knowles was our top priority from the start of this process,” Heupel said after hiring Knowles. “Jim has a proven track record of developing elite defenses that play with an edge, and we got to see that first-hand during the 2024 College Football Playoff. His defenses are always physical, well prepared and can adapt quickly in-game against today’s complex offenses. He’s a competitor, a winner and someone who will get the most out of our players in practice and on gameday. We are thrilled to welcome Jim to Rocky Top as he helps us chase championships.”
In 2024, he claimed a national title with Ohio State. His unit with the Buckeyes was arguably the best in the country, giving up the least yardage per game at 254.6.
Knowles also has experience as a defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Duke and Western Michigan. He was a head coach at his alma mater, Cornell, from 2004-09.
