5 best defensive coordinators to watch out for in 2025 college football season ft. Jim Knowles

The importance of a top-notch defensive coordinator cannot be understated. As they say, "offense wins games while defense wins championships." Hence, defensive coordinators are among the unsung heroes in college football.

With the 2025 college football season around the corner, let's identify five of the best defensive coordinators to watch out for.

Five best defensive coordinators to watch out for in 2025 college football season

5. Chris Ash, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had Al Golden calling defensive plays in their stellar run to the 2024/25 national championship game. Golden has since returned to the NFL, leaving a hole in Marcus Freeman's staff for the upcoming season.

Freeman moved promptly by hiring the vastly experienced Chris Ash. Ash is a CFB defensive savant, having occupied the defensive coordinator role at Texas, Ohio State, Arkansas and Wisconsin. The peak of his career was helping the Buckeyes to a national championship in the 2014 campaign.

4. Corey Hetherman, Miami Hurricanes

Corey Hetherman has come a long way from coaching in Division II as he's now set for a potentially career-making stint with the Miami Hurricanes. Hetherman thrived with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2024, and the Hurricanes are looking forward to a similar impact in the upcoming season.

An important stat to note is that Miami's 25.3 points per game ranked 68th in 2024. Minnesota let in 16.9 points per game, which ranked ninth in the same category. Hence, there's enough cause for optimism in Miami heading into 2025.

3. Matt Patricia, Ohio State Buckeyes

Matt Patricia was a premier defensive coordinator in the NFL for a decent spell. He occupied the DC role on two Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots teams.

Patricia is now set to enter the college football coaching field as the DC for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the reigning national champions. This move could elevate the Buckeyes' already stellar defense and put another feather in Patricia's decorated cap.

2. Tom Allen, Clemson Tigers

Tom Allen is moving from the Penn State Nittany Lions to the Clemson Tigers for the 2025 season. Allen will be tasked with solving Clemson's run defense issues and helping them push for a deep postseason run in the upcoming campaign.

Allen's Nittany Lions defense allowed 3.05 yards per carry, which was ranked seventh in the FBS. Clemson fans will hope for a similar impact on their defense entering a crucial 2025 campaign.

1. Jim Knowles, Penn State Nittany Lions

Jim Knowles was a catalyst in Ohio State's emergence as national champions in the 2024/25 season. Knowles' defensive expertise made the Buckeyes a nightmare for opponents and helped them over the hump during the expanded college football playoffs.

So it was a surprise to see the Penn State Nittany Lions convince him to switch camps ahead of the 2025 season. In Knowles, the Nittany Lions are getting one of the smartest defensive minds in football. He'll look to work his magic in a similar way to what he did at Oklahoma State and Ohio State with a promising unit at Penn State.