Larry Knight joined the Georgia State staff as outside linebackers coach for the 2015 season after two years at Tennessee.
Knight was part of a GSU defensive staff that coached the most improved defense in FBS in 2015. Georgia State led the nation by allowing 15 points fewer per game than in 2014. The Panthers finished in the top four in the Sun Belt in scoring defense (28.3 ppg), total defense (405.6 ypg), rushing defense (181.4 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (120.3).
Before coming to Georgia State, Knight spent two years (2013-14) as a defensive quality coach on Butch Jones’ staff at Tennessee, working directly with associate head coach/defensive line coach Steve Stripling and linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen. In 2014, the Volunteers’ defensive line featured All-Southeastern Conference selections Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt, who combined for 21 sacks, third-most by any duo in the nation.
Knight also served one season as a graduate assistant for Jones at Cincinnati in 2012,
helping the Bearcats to the BIG EAST title and a victory in the Belk Bowl.
Knight was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive end under Jones at Central Michigan, including all-conference honors as a senior. He partipated in four bowl games and helped CMU win three Mid-American Conference championships.
A native of Augusta, Ga., Knight earned his degree from Central Michigan in 2010.
Knight is one of three new coaches on the Panthers' defensive staff, along with defensive line coach Tony Samuel, a former Division I head coach at New Mexico State and Southeast Missouri State, and secondary coach Eric Lewis, a former defensive coordinator at Eastern Michigan and Weber State.
