Former Ohio State defensive coordinator said in an address to Penn State players that the Nittany Lions were 'everything' to him growing up

Already boasting the largest salary among college football assistants, Knowles' contract allows him to hit astronomical numbers

The Ohio State Buckeyes capped off a great season with a historic College Football Playoff National Championship win, but defensive coordinator Jim Knowles found himself elsewhere for the celebration.

Penn State has lured Tom Knowles away from Ohio State. The Nittany Lions have hired Knowles to serve as their defensive coordinator.

Ohio State asked defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to skip the team's College Football Playoff national championship celebration while he considered a

Guerrieri represents the continuity option. He's a Knowles guy through and through, initially coming with him to Ohio State as a senior analyst back in 2022. After a year apart at Indiana in 2023, Knowles missed him so much that he convinced Day to bring him back to Columbus, where he spent this past season as safeties coach.

Penn State football entered rarified air by stealing Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles away from the defending national champions.

Jim Knowles is expected to take the same position at Penn State, as first reported by Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. The two sides are finalizing a three-year deal reportedly worth $3.1 million per season, making him the first college football coordinator to earn an annual salary of at least $3 million.

Fresh from a long run to the college playoff semifinal round, James Franklin jump-started Penn State’s 2025 offseason with a splash hire. Jim Knowles, the defensive coordinator on Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team, is now with the Nittany Lions.

However, despite his many detours, Knowles is at his heart a Pennsylvanian—a Philadelphian to be exact. Addressing Penn State in a video released by the school Tuesday morning, Knowles recalled growing up a fan of the Nittany Lions in the Keystone State.

Ohio State Buckeyes snagged the championship title in Atlanta on January 20th with a decisive victory. The post Stance on James Franklin Takes Turn as $10M Splash to Sabotage Ryan Day Puts Penn State in Unexpected Territory appeared first on EssentiallySports.