College Football HQ

Penn State poaches Ohio State DC Jim Knowles in bombshell hire: report

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will take the same position at Penn State for the 2025 football season and beyond in a bombshell coaching move.
James Parks|
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will depart Ohio State and take the same job at Penn State going forward.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will depart Ohio State and take the same job at Penn State going forward. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Penn State Nittany LionsOhio State Buckeyes

Jim Knowles will leave Ohio State and become the defensive coordinator for Penn State in one of this year’s bombshell coaching moves, according to multiple reports.

Knowles coached the Buckeyes’ defense over the last two seasons and was instrumental in leading the program to a national championship this past season.

That resulted in Knowles becoming a target for several schools looking to improve their defensive output and reports emerged that he was being courted by the Nittany Lions in recent days.

Insiders revealed that Ohio State was trying to retain Knowles on a contract that would have made him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football.

Instead, it was Penn State that was able to put that offer together, as Knowles is expected to earn over $3 million per year with the Nittany Lions, according to reports.

By securing one of Ohio State’s most important coaching figures, Penn State hopes it can get an edge over its Big Ten rival, as the Nittany Lions haven’t defeated the Buckeyes since 2016.

Knowles, a native of Philadelphia, was the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State from 2018 to 2021 and at Duke from 2010 to 2017.

In 2024, Knowles’ defense at Ohio State ranked No. 1 in the country in scoring, allowing just 12.9 points per game, and was tops in total defense by surrendering 254.6 yards per game.

Penn State was eighth in FBS in scoring defense, giving up 16.5 points on average, and was seventh in total production, allowing under 295 yards from opponents under Tom Allen.

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

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