How Penn State hire would shake college football: 3 things to know about Jim Knowles

USA Today

26-01-2025

How Penn State hire would shake college football: 3 things to know about Jim Knowles
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York Daily Record
Penn State football looks to be finalizing the biggest hire of the James Franklin era.
The Nittany Lions are reportedly landing arguably the top defensive coordinator in the nation, taking Jim Knowles away from Big Ten rival Ohio State, the new national champions.
And it appears that Franklin, athletic director Pat Kraft and university officials are willing to make Knowles, a 59-year-old Philadelphia native, the highest-paid assistant coach in the nation, in the process.
The move, which is expected to be finalized early this week, sends a shock wave through college football. It began being reported Sunday afternoon, shortly after Ohio State's national title celebration in Columbus and less than a week after Knowles led his nationally-ranked defense on an impressive four-game ride through the College Football Playoff.
The Nittany Lions, meanwhile, are coming off a 13-2 season — with a school-record for victories and games played — which ended in a heartbreaking defeat in the CFP but featured its own impressive defense under one-year-and-done leader Tom Allen, who recently left for Clemson.
Knowles is being hired to upgrade Penn State even more: To turn its elite defense into a national championship unit.
Here are three things to know about new PSU coordinator:
Penn State football: Jim Knowles was a head coach
Knowles is the third straight Penn State defensive coordinator with head coaching experience — a quality James Franklin has touted repeatedly in terms of unit ownership and leadership.
Knowles was the head coach at his alma mater, Cornell University, from 2004-09. He led the struggling Big Red to three-straight .500-or-better seasons for the first time in 14 years. His initial team was the first in Ivy League history to go from zero conference victories to a winning record the next season.
Jim Knowles has led top defenses at three Power 4 schools
Knowles' experience and success are varied and unquestioned.
He's led top defenses in three different conferences — at Duke (ACC), Oklahoma State (Big 12) and Ohio State (Big 10), reaching higher levels at each stop.
His coordinating success began during that eight-year stint at Duke. In his final season there, in 2017, the Blue Devils finished in the Top 25 in seven defensive categories and were among the ACC's best.
His defenses then improved each year at Oklahoma State (2018-21). His final team put up historic program numbers, ranking in the top five nationally in sacks (No. 1), tackles for loss (No. 2), third-down defense (No. 2), total defense (No. 5) and rushing defense (No. 5).
He was a 2021 finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's outstanding assistant coach.
At Ohio State, his first defense in 2022 finished higher in all four major defensive categories than the previous talented but underachieving one, including rising from 59th in total defense (372.6 yards per game) to 14th (321.5).
This past year, his defense was among the national leaders all season. The Buckeyes boasted the nation's top-ranked defense in most major categories, including points (12.2) and yardage allowed (251.1) per game.
And his units proved toughest when needed most. Late, goal-line stands preserved the critical victory at Penn State in early November and in the CFP semifinals against Texas.
Penn State football make history: Jim Knowles to become nation's highest-paid assistant
Penn State officials had to make Jim Knowles the highest-paid college football assistant coach in history to get him.
Knowles, whose new deal is being reported at $3.1 million per year, already was the nation's third highest-paid assistant coach, according to USA Today's assistant coaching salary database report in December. He earned $2.2 million per year at Ohio State in 2024, placing him behind only LSU's Blake Baker ($2.5 million) and Michigan's Wink Martindale ($2.3 million).
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Knowles' expected contract should make him the university's third-highest-paid employee behind Franklin and athletic director Pat Kraft, according to Penn State's 2024 Right-to-Know Law report.
Though Franklin is the third highest-paid head coach in the Big Ten and No. 13 nationally ($8.5 million per year in guaranteed compensation), Penn State is not typically required to make public its assistants' salaries, per state law.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at [e-mail] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.