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Jim Knowles, Pete Kwiatkowski, and More: Top Five Defensive Coordinators for 2025
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Jim Knowles, Pete Kwiatkowski, and More: Top Five Defensive Coordinators for 2025

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mike Huesmann  |  Last updated May 12, 2025 5:15 PM ET

By Mike Huesmann

We move to the defensive side of the ball this week as I look at my top five defensive coordinators entering the 2025 season. This list will have some well-known names and some who’ll be less familiar, but each of these guys put together a top-notch campaign in 2024 and several have been doing it for years. Here was the top offensive coordinator list I recently wrote.

Jim Knowles - Penn State

Knowles was among the best at his job at Oklahoma State when Ryan Day plucked him away from Stillwater. This offseason James Franklin did the same thing. Prior to this he did an underrated job for David Cutcliffe at Duke. The Buckeyes won a national title last year with no small help from Knowles. Ohio State led the nation in total defense and scoring defense, and in 2023 they were Top 3 in both of those categories. Those numbers don’t happen in a vacuum; you have to be top notch to achieve them. He might be the best in the business at what he does, and Penn State was genius to strengthen themselves and simultaneously weaken a rival.

Tom Allen - Clemson

Now we move to the man who left Penn State for Clemson and opened the door for Knowles to enter. Penn State was No. 8 in points allowed in 2024 and No. 6 in total defense. Allen helped the Nittany Lions get to the playoff semifinals in his only year in Happy Valley. Prior to that, he spent seven years as the Indiana head coach. PSU was Top 10 in the nation against the run and had a fearsome pass rush led by Abdul Carter . Allen decided to move to Clemson and looks to be on another team that makes a playoff appearance.

Bryant Haines - Indiana

We continue our school connections with a move to Indiana - Allen’s former squad. Haines followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison and those guys haven’t put a foot wrong in a long time. He coached elite defenses at JMU, finishing as a Broyles Award semifinalist in 2023 for the nation's top assistant coach. The Hoosiers had a season no one expected and a playoff appearance. Haines has been an elite DC for multiple years, and I expect him to be a head coach before too long. 2025 will be interesting for him and the Hoosiers now that they won’t sneak up on anyone.

Corey Hetherman - Miami

The youngest on this list and a relative newcomer to the FBS, he has only been at the top level of college football since 2022. Prior to that, he had been DC at Maine and James Madison. He served a stint with Greg Schiano at Rutgers before moving to Minnesota in 2024. Hetherman only spent one year as P.J. Fleck ’s coordinator before Mario Cristobal hired him away after the Canes struggled on D last year. Hetherman was instrumental last year in Koi Perich being one of the elite freshmen in the nation. The Gophers had the No. 5 overall defense and were No. 9 in scoring defense. Miami will be disappointed, again, if they don’t make the playoffs. Hetherman will be instrumental in leading a defense that let them down last year.

Pete Kwiatkowski - Texas

In his current position since 2021, Kwiatkowski is the longest tenured of this list. He was a successful DC at Boise State and Washington for Chris Petersen, where he had his first playoff appearance. In 2023 the Longhorns were tough on D again, finishing the season ranked No. 15 in scoring defense and No. 35 in total D. Last year they bettered that to No. 3 in both total D and scoring D. He has coached some of the elite defensive lineman and defensive backs in recent years, sending swaths of players to the NFL. Texas expects to contend for titles every year and Sark has clearly found his guy on D to help with that. 

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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