Knowles to coach Big Red

After a two-month search, Cornell football has found its man.

Jim Knowles, a former All-Ivy defensive end for the Big Red, was introduced as the 25th Cornell head football coach on Jan. 30.

The Big Red helm has been vacant since Tim Pendergast was fired on Nov. 25 following a season in which his team won just one game, losing all seven of its league contests.

In Pendergast’s three seasons, the Big Red never finished with a winning record and placed no higher than fifth in the Ivies.

Knowles has prowled the sidelines of Schoellkopf field before, coaching the defensive line, linebackers and running backs over the course of his stay in Ithaca from 1988-96.

After leaving his alma mater, Knowles spent six years as a defensive coach at Western Michigan, including two as defensive coordinator. His unit never finished lower than second in the Mid-American conference in either pass defense or sacks.

In the interim, Knowles spent a season at Ole Miss, helping guide the Rebels to a 10-win season as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.

Though Cornell’s program is in dire need of assistance in many areas, the signing of recruits is the most immediate concern. On Wednesday, the first day on which incoming freshmen may sign letters of intent, the Big Red lagged far behind not only Ivy powerhouses Harvard, Yale and Penn but also middlings Princeton and Dartmouth in the number of prospects locked up.

In addition, the imminent graduation of Cornell’s two highest-rated quarterbacks, most prolific receiver and team-leading tackler makes the program’s disappointing recruiting situation even more dire.

—TIMOTHY J. MCGINN