Cowboy Football
Knowles, Jim
Jim Knowles
- Title:
- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
Fourth Year at OSU | 34th Year Overall
Cornell, 1987
• With more than 30 years of college coaching experience, Jim Knowles joined the Oklahoma State coaching staff as defensive coordinator in January of 2018.
• Knowles came to Stillwater after an eight-year run at Duke, where he was an integral part in leading the Blue Devils to five bowl appearances in his last six years – a feat that had never previously been achieved at Duke. He was elevated to the role of assistant head coach immediately following the 2017 season.
• The Oklahoma State defense has shown significant improvement each year during his first three seasons as coordinator. In 2018, the Cowboys allowed an average of 32.5 points and 452.5 yards per game, but in 2019, those numbers improved to 26.8 points per game and 412.3 yards per game. Then in 2020, those numbers improved again to 23.5 points per game and 379.0 yards per game.
• The 379.0 yards per game allowed by Knowles’ 2020 defense marked the fewest at Oklahoma State since the 2009 season.
• Oklahoma State led the nation and set a school record in third down conversion percentage defense (26.5%) in 2020. It also tied for the FBS lead in defensive touchdowns (4) and led the FBS in fumble return yards (190). The 2020 defense ranked eighth in fumbles recovered (10), ninth in tackles for loss per game (8.1) and 16th in sacks per game (3.0).
• The Cowboys of 2019 recorded 47 quarterback hurries, a mark that ranks second in school history. OSU also held each of its final six opponents below their season scoring average.
• In his first year at OSU in 2018, the Cowboys beat four ranked teams, including No. 6 Texas and No. 7 West Virginia. OSU led the Big 12 and was 10th in the FBS in sacks per game and ranked second in the league and 20th in the FBS in tackles for loss per game.
• In his final season in Durham, the Duke ranked in the top 25 nationally in total defense, passing defense, pass efficiency defense, scoring defense, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and fewest first downs allowed. Additionally, Duke was in the top 25 nationally in fewest penalties committed per game.
• In 2013, Knowles’ defense helped Duke to a 10-win season and an appearance in the ACC Championship Game, both of which were firsts in school history.
• From 2004-09, Knowles served as head coach at Cornell, where he compiled a 26-34 record in his six seasons at the helm of his alma mater.
• A 1987 graduate of Cornell, Knowles spent nine years (1988-96) as an assistant coach at his alma mater, helping the Big Red to Ivy League championships in 1988 and 1990.
• In his first stint at Cornell, he coached defensive line (1988), running backs (1989-94) and linebackers (1995-96) while coordinating the staff’s recruiting efforts (1995-96).
• Knowles’ first stint in major-conference football came in 2003, when he served as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under David Cutcliffe at Ole Miss, where he helped the Rebels to a 10-3 record, a share of the SEC Western Division title and a 31-28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.
• Knowles helped the Ole Miss defense rank 14th in the nation in rushing defense while the Rebels held eight opponents — including eventual national champion LSU — to 21 or fewer points.
• Following his lone season in Oxford, Knowles returned to Cornell as head coach.
• In his first season as head coach of the Big Red, Knowles turned a 1-9 squad that lost seven games by at least two touchdowns into a 4-6 unit that went 4-3 in conference play and lost all six contests by 10 points or less.
• Cornell’s 2004 squad became the first team in Ivy League history to go from zero conference wins to a winning league slate in just one season. Under Knowles, Cornell posted three consecutive seasons (2005-06-07) at .500 or better for the first time since 1990-91-92 and, in 2007, enjoyed a stretch of scoring 30 or more points in four straight games for the first time since 1921 while home attendance nearly doubled from the 2006 campaign.
• Knowles returned to the major college ranks immediately after the 2009 season, when he reunited with Cutcliffe at Duke to serve as defensive coordinator.
• In 2017, Duke’s defense was one of the best in the ACC, ranking among the league’s leaders in scoring defense (third) and total defense (fourth). Duke allowed 20.23 points per game, marking the program’s lowest total since 1977, and gave up more than 24 points just twice. Duke was one of four teams in the ACC to have four players with 9.0 or more tackles for loss.
• In 2013, Duke’s defense included three first team All-ACC picks in linebacker Kelby Brown, Jeremy Cash and cornerback Ross Cockrell, marking Duke’s highest total of defensive first team selections since 1974. With 133 tackles on the year, linebacker Helton led the ACC in total stops while Cash finished second with 121. Brown was tops in the league in tackles per game (10.4) in conference play.
• The Blue Devils recorded 26 takeaways in 2013 — the fourth-highest total in the ACC — and their average points allowed in the fourth quarter (4.64) ranked second in the conference, trailing only national champion Florida State. In addition, Duke won all four of its road ACC games by allowing an average of 19.5 points per contest in victories over North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Personal
• A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Knowles was a three-year letterman and All-Ivy League selection as a defensive end at Cornell before graduating in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He has three children — Halle, Luke and Jack.
Year By Year
Bowl Games
2004 Cotton Bowl
2012 Belk Bowl
2013 Chick-Fil-A Bowl
2014 Sun Bowl
2015 Pinstripe Bowl
2017 Quick Lane Bowl
2018 Liberty Bowl
2019 Texas Bowl
2020 Cheez-It Bowl
Prominent Pupils
Charlie Anderson, Houston Texans
Jason Babin, Philadelphia Eagles
Kenny Anunike, New York Jets
Kevin Boothe, Oakland Raiders
Breon Borders, Buffalo Bills
Jeremy Cash, Cleveland Browns
Ross Cockrell, New York Giants
Matt Daniels, St. Louis Rams
David Helton, 2014 Campbell Trophy winner
Bryan Walters, Jacksonville Jaguars
Cornell, 1987
• With more than 30 years of college coaching experience, Jim Knowles joined the Oklahoma State coaching staff as defensive coordinator in January of 2018.
• Knowles came to Stillwater after an eight-year run at Duke, where he was an integral part in leading the Blue Devils to five bowl appearances in his last six years – a feat that had never previously been achieved at Duke. He was elevated to the role of assistant head coach immediately following the 2017 season.
• The Oklahoma State defense has shown significant improvement each year during his first three seasons as coordinator. In 2018, the Cowboys allowed an average of 32.5 points and 452.5 yards per game, but in 2019, those numbers improved to 26.8 points per game and 412.3 yards per game. Then in 2020, those numbers improved again to 23.5 points per game and 379.0 yards per game.
• The 379.0 yards per game allowed by Knowles’ 2020 defense marked the fewest at Oklahoma State since the 2009 season.
• Oklahoma State led the nation and set a school record in third down conversion percentage defense (26.5%) in 2020. It also tied for the FBS lead in defensive touchdowns (4) and led the FBS in fumble return yards (190). The 2020 defense ranked eighth in fumbles recovered (10), ninth in tackles for loss per game (8.1) and 16th in sacks per game (3.0).
• The Cowboys of 2019 recorded 47 quarterback hurries, a mark that ranks second in school history. OSU also held each of its final six opponents below their season scoring average.
• In his first year at OSU in 2018, the Cowboys beat four ranked teams, including No. 6 Texas and No. 7 West Virginia. OSU led the Big 12 and was 10th in the FBS in sacks per game and ranked second in the league and 20th in the FBS in tackles for loss per game.
• In his final season in Durham, the Duke ranked in the top 25 nationally in total defense, passing defense, pass efficiency defense, scoring defense, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and fewest first downs allowed. Additionally, Duke was in the top 25 nationally in fewest penalties committed per game.
• In 2013, Knowles’ defense helped Duke to a 10-win season and an appearance in the ACC Championship Game, both of which were firsts in school history.
• From 2004-09, Knowles served as head coach at Cornell, where he compiled a 26-34 record in his six seasons at the helm of his alma mater.
• A 1987 graduate of Cornell, Knowles spent nine years (1988-96) as an assistant coach at his alma mater, helping the Big Red to Ivy League championships in 1988 and 1990.
• In his first stint at Cornell, he coached defensive line (1988), running backs (1989-94) and linebackers (1995-96) while coordinating the staff’s recruiting efforts (1995-96).
• Knowles’ first stint in major-conference football came in 2003, when he served as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under David Cutcliffe at Ole Miss, where he helped the Rebels to a 10-3 record, a share of the SEC Western Division title and a 31-28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.
• Knowles helped the Ole Miss defense rank 14th in the nation in rushing defense while the Rebels held eight opponents — including eventual national champion LSU — to 21 or fewer points.
• Following his lone season in Oxford, Knowles returned to Cornell as head coach.
• In his first season as head coach of the Big Red, Knowles turned a 1-9 squad that lost seven games by at least two touchdowns into a 4-6 unit that went 4-3 in conference play and lost all six contests by 10 points or less.
• Cornell’s 2004 squad became the first team in Ivy League history to go from zero conference wins to a winning league slate in just one season. Under Knowles, Cornell posted three consecutive seasons (2005-06-07) at .500 or better for the first time since 1990-91-92 and, in 2007, enjoyed a stretch of scoring 30 or more points in four straight games for the first time since 1921 while home attendance nearly doubled from the 2006 campaign.
• Knowles returned to the major college ranks immediately after the 2009 season, when he reunited with Cutcliffe at Duke to serve as defensive coordinator.
• In 2017, Duke’s defense was one of the best in the ACC, ranking among the league’s leaders in scoring defense (third) and total defense (fourth). Duke allowed 20.23 points per game, marking the program’s lowest total since 1977, and gave up more than 24 points just twice. Duke was one of four teams in the ACC to have four players with 9.0 or more tackles for loss.
• In 2013, Duke’s defense included three first team All-ACC picks in linebacker Kelby Brown, Jeremy Cash and cornerback Ross Cockrell, marking Duke’s highest total of defensive first team selections since 1974. With 133 tackles on the year, linebacker Helton led the ACC in total stops while Cash finished second with 121. Brown was tops in the league in tackles per game (10.4) in conference play.
• The Blue Devils recorded 26 takeaways in 2013 — the fourth-highest total in the ACC — and their average points allowed in the fourth quarter (4.64) ranked second in the conference, trailing only national champion Florida State. In addition, Duke won all four of its road ACC games by allowing an average of 19.5 points per contest in victories over North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Personal
• A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Knowles was a three-year letterman and All-Ivy League selection as a defensive end at Cornell before graduating in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He has three children — Halle, Luke and Jack.
Year By Year
| Year | School | Position |
| 1988-96 | Cornell | Defensive Line (1988), |
| Running Backs (1989-94), | ||
| Linebackers (1995-96), | ||
| Recruiting Coord. (1995-96) | ||
| 1997-02 | Western Mich. | Defensive Coord. (2001-02) |
| 2003 | Mississippi | LBs/Recruiting Coord. |
| 2004-09 | Cornell | Head Coach |
| 2010-17 | Duke | Assistant Head Coach/ |
| Defensive Coordinator/ | ||
| Linebackers (2011-17), | ||
| Safeties (2010) | ||
| 2018-pres. | Oklahoma State | Defensive Coordinator |
Bowl Games
2004 Cotton Bowl
2012 Belk Bowl
2013 Chick-Fil-A Bowl
2014 Sun Bowl
2015 Pinstripe Bowl
2017 Quick Lane Bowl
2018 Liberty Bowl
2019 Texas Bowl
2020 Cheez-It Bowl
Prominent Pupils
Charlie Anderson, Houston Texans
Jason Babin, Philadelphia Eagles
Kenny Anunike, New York Jets
Kevin Boothe, Oakland Raiders
Breon Borders, Buffalo Bills
Jeremy Cash, Cleveland Browns
Ross Cockrell, New York Giants
Matt Daniels, St. Louis Rams
David Helton, 2014 Campbell Trophy winner
Bryan Walters, Jacksonville Jaguars
