Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is joining one of the Buckeyes’ most bitter Big Ten rivals.
Penn State announced Monday that Knowles would join the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff as their defensive coordinator (DC). Knowles helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship this past season, coaching a defense that led the nation in total defense and several key categories. A native of the Philadelphia area, Knowles is the latest in a revolving door of defensive play-callers over the past several years in State College.
“I am excited for this opportunity to join Penn State Football,” Knowles said in a statement Monday. “I would like to thank Coach Franklin, Pat Kraft, and President Neeli Bendapudi for this opportunity to be the defensive coordinator at Penn State. I have always had a ton of respect for Coach Franklin and the program he has built here. I look forward to working with this tremendous staff and group of student-athletes and am ready to get to work.”
Knowles’s championship-winning defense in 2024 was also first in the nation in total defense, scoring defense, yards and touchdowns per play, and red zone touchdowns scored. The Buckeyes defense also ranked second in the nations in total sacks, pass touchdowns per game, and red zone scoring percentage. They ranked third in rush defense, pass defense, and sacks per game. Before that, Knowles’ 2023 squad had the nation’s top pass defense, third-ranked total defense, and 18th in run defense. During his first year with the Buckeyes in 2022, the defense took double-digit leaps in national rankings: run defense jumped 2 spots; scoring defense rose 14 spots; passing defense improved 70 spots; and total defense improved 45 spots.
Knowles was born in Philadelphia and attended high school at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School before playing defensive end at Cornell University. After graduation in 1988, he served as a defensive line coach at his alma mater. He also coached running backs and linebackers until 1996, when he joined the staff at Western Michigan. After a five-year stint with the Broncos and a year coaching linebackers at Ole Miss in 2003, Knowles went back to Cornell to serve as head coach from 2004-2009. He served as safeties coach at Duke in 2010 and was promoted to linebackers coach and defensive coordinator from 2011-2017. He then moved to Oklahoma State from 2018-2021 before joining the Buckeyes.
Knowles is the fourth defensive coordinator since 2021. Brent Pry joined the Nittany Lions in 2016 before being hired as the head coach of Virginia Tech. Pry’s successor, Manny Diaz, spent two seasons as the defensive play-caller before being hired as Duke’s head coach. Tom Allen served as DC for the 2024 season before making a lateral move to Clemson this offseason.
“Join me in welcoming Jim Knowles back to his home in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the Defensive Coordinator of Penn State Football,” Penn State head coach James Franklin added. “He’s a strong strategist and excellent defensive mind. He reflects the core values our culture of excellence is built upon. We look forward to having Jim and his family join us in Happy Valley.”
Knowles’s departure is bitter not only because he joined one of his former team’s most bitter conference rivals, but also because he was held out from celebrating Ohio State’s championship victory with the team. Action Network CFB Insider Brett McMurphy reported that he was asked by Ohio State University not to attend the team’s celebration while he mulled his future. According to McMurphy, OSU’s final offer to him was well below what other teams were willing to pay for his services; he signed a 3-year, $9.3 million deal with Penn State.
Knowles may not be the only coordinator set to leave the national champions. CBS Sports reported that Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is garnering attention as an offensive coordinator for several NFL teams with new regimes