New Tennessee Football Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles' Contract Details

Jim Knowles first contract with the Tennessee Volunteers releases. Here are the details.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles celebrates after winning against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers have become one of the better teams in the nation on the offensive side of the football, and this has been an ongoing trait for the Tennessee program since Josh Heupel joined the program.

The Tennessee Volunteers' weakness under Heupel's leadership has almost always been the defense, as aside from a year or two, the Vols seemed to be below average. This led to a major coaching change for the Tennessee Volunteers, who parted ways with their defensive coordinator. That DC is Tim Banks, who is no longer with the team, and is on his way to the Auburn Tigers to become the safeties coach with the growing program. He is going to be under the leadership of Alex Golesh (who is a former offensive coordinator with the Vols under Heupel's command). He was never fired, but instead worked his way into a head coaching job with the USF Bulls.

The Vols ended a search on Wednesday, which was only a few days after the search began. Reports indicated that they landed their top guy, and their top guy is Jim Knowles. After multiple conversations, this was made official, which seems to be an upgrade at this time. Especially if you consider the fact that Knowles was the national championship-winning coach just a season ago with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

His three-year tenure came to an end as he accepted the Penn State job. After just one season with the Nittany Lions, he is on his way to becoming the new defensive coordinator for the Vols, which seems like a breath of fresh air for many. This led to an opinion that could be a reality from Brooks Austin. He stated, "Jim Knowles to Tennessee has a chance to be really good. But first years in that system are tough. It’s intricate. It’s detailed. It takes time. If you’re patient enough, great hire."

Knowles' contract details have been released, as he signed a good deal with the Vols, which allows him to make a good bit of money, but he will be getting paid more than Banks was getting annually. Here is the layout for the newest Tennessee Vols DC.

Jim Knowles Contract Details

Apr 26, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles walks on the field prior to the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Total Salary: 3 YR/$6.6 MM
2026: $2.0 MM
2027: $2.2 MM
2028: $2.4 MM

Knowles will be one of the names to watch moving forward, as the newest name to accept a Tennessee staff position will be held to a high standard.

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