Football
Sep 20 (Sat)
5:00 pm MT
- Title:
- Defensive Coordinator
- Email:
- brian.knorr@afacademy.af.edu
- Phone:
- 719-333-7826
Brian Knorr enters his fourth year as defensive coordinator and fifth year as linebackers coach. He coached outside linebackers in 2019 and spurs in 2018. This is Knorr’s third stint with the Air Force football program. His first year as defensive coordinator in 2022 was highly successful, as the Falcons had one of the nation’s top defenses. Air Force was first in total defense (254.4), second in passing defense (159.1) and third in scoring defense (13.4). The 13.4 points per game average is the sixth best in program history and best since 1997. The Falcons held 12 of 13 opponents under 21 points last season and have held 22 of 32 under 21 points the last three seasons. The group was nearly as dominant in 2023, ranking sixth in total defense (277.7), sixth in rushing defense (90.8) and 12th in scoring defense (18.2). Air Force led the Mountain West in total defense for the fifth straight year in 2024.
Knorr returned to the Academy from Arizona, where he served as the special teams coordinator and coached the STUD position, a hybrid defensive end and linebacker role.
Knorr has over 25 years of collegiate coaching experience that includes four seasons as the head coach at Ohio University, along with six seasons of defensive coordinator responsibilities at Ohio, Wake Forest and Indiana. Prior to his stint as Arizona, Knorr spent the 2016 season as a quality control assistant at Ohio State.
Prior to the one-year stint at Ohio State, Knorr was the defensive coordinator at Indiana during the 2014-15 seasons, where he tutored the defensive ends and outside linebackers. In his first season, the Hoosiers made significant improvements in scoring defense (+6.0), rushing yardage (+55.1) and total yardage per game (+94.1), as well as third down conversion percentage (+10.4), sacks (+3) and tackles for loss (+13). His second season helped Indiana to a bowl berth and a six-win season for the first time in seven years.
Before his two-year stay at Indiana, Knorr served in several coaching roles at Wake Forest over six seasons. In 2008, he joined the Demon Deacons staff as wide receivers coach where he worked on the offensive side of the ball for three years, then switched sides to become co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach in 2011. He was named defensive coordinator in 2012, while he continued to coach the inside linebackers, then oversaw the outside linebackers in his final season of 2013.
As the defensive coordinator at Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons produced some staunch numbers. In 2013, Wake Forest allowed only 24.1 points per game (38th nationally), 143.2 rushing yards (34th), 223.0 passing yards and 366.2 total yards (32nd) per game. A year prior, Knorr’s system produced 23 turnovers to rank second in the ACC with 12 forced fumbles. In conference games, Wake Forest ranked in the top half of the conference in eight of the 12 major defensive categories.
Knorr made the second stop of his coaching career at Air Force, his alma mater, for three seasons from 2005-07. He was initially hired to coach outside linebackers and strong safeties for two seasons, then was named assistant head coach and mentored the inside linebackers in 2007.
Prior to his return to Air Force, Knorr put together a 10-year tenure at Ohio University highlighted by four seasons as the program’s head coach from 2001-04 as he became the first Air Force Academy graduate to be named a head football coach at the Division I level. Previously, he was the Bobcats’ defensive coordinator in 1999-2000 and a linebacker’s coach from 1995-98.
The Bobcats’ defense ranked in the top five in the Mid-American Conference in scoring, rushing and total defense every year in his time as coordinator, and five players earned all-conference accolades. Additionally, Knorr oversaw Ohio’s special teams, including in 2001 when the Bobcats led the NCAA in punting. Punter Dave Zastudil earned first team All-America honors that season and went on to an 11-year professional career with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. He is one of seven players overall coached by Knorr to go on to professional careers.
Knorr began his coaching career at the Academy, serving as assistant offensive line coach, head junior varsity coach and administrative assistant to the head coach from 1992-94. He joined the Falcons following five years as a captain on active duty, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
As a three-year letterman, Knorr quarterbacked Air Force to three bowl appearances. He served as a team captain his senior season.
Knorr received a bachelor’s degree in management from the Air Force Academy in 1986 and an M.B.A. from Dayton in 1991. He and his wife, Julie, have a daughter, Katie, and twins, Reagan (daughter) and Brett (son).
