Jim Knowles continues to receive national acclaim for his contributions to Ohio State this season.
The Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation named the OSU defensive coordinator one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award, an honor presented to the top assistant coach in college football.
Other semifinalists include Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Florida State defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker, James Madison defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, Louisville defensive coordinator Ron English, LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, Missouri defensive line coach Kevin Peoples, Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Two seasons ago, when Knowles was still defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, he was one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, along with Jeff Grimes (Baylor), Dan Lanning (Georgia; now head coach at Oregon), Josh Gattis (Michigan; now offensive coordinator at Maryland) and Warren Ruggiero (Wake Forest). Last season, in his first year at Ohio State, Knowles was named one of 26 nominees for the accolade.
This season, Ohio State's defense is ranked second in scoring defense (9.3 points per game) and third in total defense (252.8 points per game). The Buckeyes lead the country in pass defense, with only 144.3 yards per game allowed and are 21st nationally in run defense (108.5 yards per game allowed).
The 2023 Broyles Award will be presented on Dec. 5 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Finalists for the award will attend a luncheon and make speeches before a winner is announced at the end of the event.
