It looks like Jim Knowles will be staying in Columbus for a third year as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator.
Knowles was in the mix to become the new head coach at Duke, but the Blue Devils instead opted to hire Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, according to multiple reports.
Source: Manny Diaz to Duke is a done deal. Diaz, the Penn State DC the past two years, will be the new Blue Devils coach.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 8, 2023
Diaz replaces Mike Elko, who left Duke to become the new head coach at Texas A&M. Previously the head coach at Miami from 2019-21, Diaz leaves Penn State after two seasons with the Nittany Lions, whose defense is one of only two (along with Michigan) to allow fewer yards per game than Knowles’ Ohio State defense this year.
Knowles reportedly interviewed with Duke on Nov. 29 and had told Ohio State coach Ryan Day that he was interested in the position in Durham, where he was previously an assistant coach at Duke from 2010-17 including seven seasons as the Blue Devils’ defensive coordinator. But Day always believed there was a good chance Knowles would end up staying at Ohio State.
“He communicated with me that they had reached out. So I know he was still in the mix there and having communications, and we’ll kind of deal with it,” Day said Sunday. “But that's part of this time of year with job searches, and I'm sure our guys are going to continually be sought after. We have a really good staff. Jim's a great coach, and he'll continue to have opportunities. But I know he's very happy here at Ohio State as well.”
Knowles, whose only previous head coaching experience came at his alma mater Cornell from 2004-09, has not been publicly connected to any other head coaching vacancies. He is currently in the second year of a three-year contract with Ohio State with a salary of $1.957 million made him the nation’s third-highest-paid assistant coach this season, per USA TODAY.
Knowles is just one of several Ohio State assistant coaches who have been linked to other job openings since the end of the regular season, but no coaches have left the staff yet. Tight ends coach Keenan Bailey was reportedly a finalist for the offensive coordinator job at East Carolina, but that job went to John David Baker, who was previously a co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Ole Miss. Offensive line coach Justin Frye was considered a potential candidate for the head coaching job at Indiana, but that vacancy was filled by Curt Cignetti, who was previously the head coach at James Madison.
It’s still possible that changes could be coming to Ohio State’s coaching staff after this season, though Day appears to be waiting until after the Cotton Bowl to initiate any changes.
“Every year we're gonna look at that, and whether it's guys having opportunities to go other places or changing things up, you always got to look at that,” Day said Sunday. “I don't have any updates right now or anything like that going on, but that's something we always do. We evaluate every year.”
