Jim Knowles details why connection with players is so important

Jim Knowles has elevated to become one of the more important assistant coaches in all of college football, and he’s preparing for a new challenge this coming season, after taking his talents from Ohio State to Penn State.

The defensive coordinator spent three years with the Buckeyes, and this past one was the best of the bunch, with Ohio State having stood tall at the end of the College Football Playoff. However, once the Nittany Lions came calling, the Philadelphia native knew he wanted to return to his home state of Pennsylvania.

There’s a bevy of reasons why Penn State wanted Knowles, and one of those included the connection he builds with his defensive players. The Nittany Lions defensive coordinator went into detail about how important that is during his introductory press conference, and it’s easy to see why Knowles was an easy decision for James Franklin and company.

“The players, they have to trust you. They have to know that you care about all of their personal situations, and they have to trust that you have their best interest in heart,” Knowles explained. “You build that, right? That doesn’t come right away. You can’t do it all the time by just being their friend all the time. There are times where you have to be the one who’s pushing the discipline, and holding them accountable. But then, once they know that you’re accountable — those situations that come up where I make a mistake, you know, or something happens within the defense that’s not their fault. I think it’s important, it’s always been with me, with the players, with accepting responsibility.

“Once they see that you’re not going to point the finger at them, that you’re going to say, ‘Hey, that was my fault. I didn’t train you correctly. They ran a play that we weren’t prepared for, or a formation that I didn’t have you ready for,’ I think that builds a lot of credibility, and a lot of trust. Then, you know, when times get tough, they know that you’re gonna fix things, and you’re gonna put them in the right positions, You’re not just gonna say, ‘Well, you know, you’ve gotta win. You got beat.’ I don’t do that. You know, I want to make sure that they know that I’m going to give them every chance to succeed, and they trust that.”

All told, Knowles has been a defensive coordinator at the power level for the past decade and a half, with stops at Duke, Oklahoma State, and Ohio State, and it’s not difficult to see why he’s had immense success each time. Those 14 units have allowed 24 points, which averaged better than a Top-50 finish nationally, and 374.1 yards a game.

Moreover, Knowles’ resume includes seven defenses that improved in every season through four years in Stillwater (25.2 points, 385.6 yards) and three in Columbus (15 points, 280.5 yards) with each of his last four finishing in the Top-25 and three of those four finishing in the Top-10.

Looking ahead, Knowles will call a defense that has been one of the more successful units in recent seasons. The Nittany Lions have had a Top-10 defense each of the past four years in allowing 16.4 points and 304.7 yards.

Alas, Jim Knowles is home in Pennsylvania, and ready to continue his successful coaching career with the Nittany Lions. Penn State came close to making their championship dreams come true last season, but with their new defensive coordinator at the helm, they feel closer than ever to the top.