Ohio State hires Broyles finalist as DC
https://twitter.com/nicoleauerbach/status/1468347949721784325?s=21
Jim Knowles defense was the main reason Oklahoma State was in position to play for the playoff last weekend. He’s a little older and has a similar career track to Don Brown (former FCS head coach and experience in the ACC).
He’ll take over after the Rose Bowl, so no idea yet on staff changes to current group.
December 7th, 2021 at 5:45 PM ^
It will be an interesting Rose Bowl with Barnes/Coombs being shit-canned the day after.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:06 PM ^
They are going to have some opt outs and most of this team doesn’t have the heart for it right now.
Utah is a hard ass football team that is going to want to win their 1st Rose Bowl. Money on Utah giving OSU hell.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:55 PM ^
Let's all hope the Utes beat the crap out of the Bruts!
December 7th, 2021 at 7:19 PM ^
Three loss season, Columbus may burn
December 7th, 2021 at 10:05 PM ^
Money on Utah for a straight up win. They'll cover whatever points they give, too. Utah is going to Michigan OSU...
December 7th, 2021 at 8:38 PM ^
But as a sweet parting gift, they get a lifetime supply of ball lifters. Apparently they had a couple of extra boxes leftover from the previous coaching regime.
So they got that going for them, which is nice.
December 8th, 2021 at 12:03 AM ^
I heard a few years back from a former Cincinnati Colerain football player that Coombs worked the Michigan summer camp for like 20 years and basically ran the camp for the rest of the high school coaches that worked it. Michigan never offered him a job and osu eventually grabbed him. Saying he woulda coached at Michigan in a heartbeat. Same guy also told me that Coombs knew the two point conversion was going to drew dileo on that final play in the Big House and “drew up the play” to stuff it. Interesting thoughts. The guy obviously has had some success with DB’s in his time there.
Maybe we pull a little maneuver and just snag him after the Rose Bowl like they did to us with Mattison.
December 8th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
We already have a very good DB coach, though. Coombs has been shown to not be a good D coordinator, so what would he coach?
December 8th, 2021 at 2:13 PM ^
Official osu game consultant I don’t know.
December 7th, 2021 at 11:19 PM ^
Update/ title should read: OSU hires Broyles award runner-up. Mods please correct.
December 8th, 2021 at 12:18 AM ^
December 8th, 2021 at 3:13 AM ^
Are we already those fans?
December 7th, 2021 at 5:41 PM ^
You knew they were going to upgrade at that position. He did great this year at OK State.
December 7th, 2021 at 5:44 PM ^
I'm all for giving someone credit for a good job done within one year, but his long term track record is something I'm more interested in knowing. Brady Hoke did a great job his first year with Michigan, but we know how the following three years went...
December 7th, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^
Looks like he was the DC at Duke under Cutcliffe for years. After a couple of bad years inheriting a bad team, the defense became a decent unit, producing some good seasons. In 2017 Duke beat a Northwestern team that finished 10-3, holding them to 17 points and Clayton Thorson to 40% passing in a season where he averaged north of 60%.
Looks like his defense in 2016 wasn't as impressive statistically... but he did play against Lamar Jackson that season, which was Jackson's Heisman season, and held Louisville to 24 points, Jackson with a "modest" 181 yards passing and 144 yards rushing on 21 attempts.
But, before last year, nothing jumps out statistically. The teams he coordinated seemed to be decent defensively, but not dominant.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^
Looked up Knowles career. Spent some time at Western Michigan. Seems everybody has spent time there...Hoke, Mattison, Harbaugh (Jack and John), Gattis, Mike Hart.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:18 PM ^
well, in Knowles 3 years at OK St their defense improved each year. lots of sacks. runs an aggressive 4-2-5 scheme.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:42 PM ^
Sounds a lot like...Don Brown. Mostly man?
December 7th, 2021 at 6:50 PM ^
JJ will torch that with his arm, and grab chucks with his feet as Michigan runs RPOs with M receivers running vets to clear out man coverage OSU d-backs leaving oceans of running room for JJ to convert endless 3rd and long plays.
December 7th, 2021 at 7:24 PM ^
From your lips my friend to Gods ears.
December 7th, 2021 at 10:33 PM ^
He was a DC in the Big12 and designed defenses to stop teams that pass a lot. The Big 10 is going to be a rude awakening for him.
December 7th, 2021 at 5:41 PM ^
Damn, really good get.
Oh well, we know OSU was going to reload. I am confident Gattis and Harbaugh will be ready for Knowles by the time next November comes around.
December 7th, 2021 at 5:48 PM ^
Saw Space Cowboy say that he’s got a little bit of a different positional philosophy than they’ve had, one that doesn’t rely on the same kind of all world DEs they’ve relied on since Joey Bosa arrived on campus through to Chase Young leaving, but that it might make landing those types harder.
https://twitter.com/spacecoyotebds/status/1468313551366500370?s=21
December 7th, 2021 at 5:59 PM ^
SC quoted an Ian Boyd tweet; Ian, being a Texas guy, appears to know the Oklahoma State scheme pretty well, which is great for us since he writes here once a week. I'd love him to do a write-up.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:19 PM ^
Relatedly, heavy rumors going on that OSU's DL coach Larry Johnson is gonna retire at year's end. He's been one of the best DL coaches around for decades between his time at PSU and OSU. His position group disappointed this year but he's still generally thought to be a good coach and great recruiter. Will be interesting to see if there's any attrition from their recruiting class/roster if this is confirmed.
December 7th, 2021 at 9:38 PM ^
That would be good - he has done well in recent years (this year not so) - and the recruiting has always been top notch.
Still think Coombs and/or the other guy are cut and replaced with people like one of the D coaches from that other OSU.
December 7th, 2021 at 8:00 PM ^
See saw say?
Space Cowboy Coyote?
December 7th, 2021 at 5:45 PM ^
That looks like a good hire, but I’m hoping that the offense that we present will be so different from what he’s seen in the Big 12 that we can have success against them again.
It’s been funny to see the “we play like a Big 12 school” reaction to The Game from the OSU fans only to hire a Big 12 coordinator.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:18 PM ^
To be fair, Okie State was not a particularly "Big 12" school this year.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:47 PM ^
Good point. they were the rare defense first b12 team. OU might be getting back to that with the Venables hire.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:50 PM ^
Venables will be fired in less than 3 years
Book it
December 7th, 2021 at 8:46 PM ^
I'll give him a tad longer. Oklahoma and Texas aren't set to join the SEC until 2025, even though it theoretically could be sooner. Big 12 is still pretty weak league, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Venables win 2 out of 3 Big 12 championships, if they stay until 2025.
Venables will probably need to win big these next couple years to build up goodwill for the inevitable struggles that await in the SEC. I'm curious to see how the SEC does divisions/pods with 16 teams, but if Oklahoma ends up consistently playing the SEC West powers, it could be a quick slide to mediocrity.
December 7th, 2021 at 7:07 PM ^
Oklahoma State’s D kept em in that game against Baylor. Sure as hell wasn’t the offense, turning it over 4 times.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:06 AM ^
Agree. I watched Okie State play a few times this year and it was always defense first with them which was strange when watching a track-meet type Big 12 game.
December 7th, 2021 at 10:38 PM ^
I'm thinking the same. MICHIGAN is running a multiple attack offense again that looks like it will and can adjust to every defense scheme teams throw at us. As long as we keep everyone on staff , we should be ok
December 7th, 2021 at 10:38 PM ^
I'm thinking the same. MICHIGAN is running a multiple attack offense again that looks like it will and can adjust to every defense scheme teams throw at us. As long as we keep everyone on staff , we should be ok
December 7th, 2021 at 5:45 PM ^
Welp, I guess he gets to keep his 'OSU DC' vanity plate.
December 7th, 2021 at 5:47 PM ^
So when Day takes the Bears job will he stay?
December 7th, 2021 at 5:53 PM ^
That will be up to Fickell
December 7th, 2021 at 5:50 PM ^
May he have the same success against us as Don Brown did against them.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^
He will!!!
December 7th, 2021 at 7:12 PM ^
In particular, Don Brown 2018-19
December 7th, 2021 at 5:51 PM ^
Does he own a mustache?
December 7th, 2021 at 5:54 PM ^
A Creighton-esque white beard
December 7th, 2021 at 6:00 PM ^
Not exactly. But he definitely has Don Brown "vibes".
December 7th, 2021 at 6:13 PM ^
Kind of a sea captain look. Maybe needs a pipe.
December 7th, 2021 at 7:29 PM ^
kinda, don brown looked like a scrappy veteran detective who spurned the law from time to time, this guy looks a bit more office paper-pusher police chief
December 7th, 2021 at 10:30 PM ^
He might carry those "Don Brown" vibes to the recruiting trail - not a replacement for Coombs in that respect