Breaking News: Penn State Hires Ohio State's Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles
Following his role in leading Ohio State to a national championship, Jim Knowles is in the process of finalizing a deal with Penn State that would make him the highest paid defensive coordinator in college football, according to a report from ESPN on Sunday.
Knowles is expected to earn $3.1 million per year on a three-year contract as he joins the coaching staff of Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin.
This new deal represents a significant increase for Knowles, who previously made $900,000 less per season at Ohio State. He now surpasses the $2.5 million per year deals of both Wink Martindale at Michigan and Blake Baker at LSU, who were previously slated to be the highest paid defensive coordinators in 2025.
Ohio State's dominant defense played a crucial role in their four victories in the College Football Playoff, including a 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the championship game. The Buckeyes allowed just 251.1 yards per game, over five yards better than the next best team, Indiana.
In addition to leading the nation in total defense, Ohio State also boasted the best scoring defense, allowing just 12.2 points per game, over two points better than Notre Dame.
Meanwhile, Penn State's defense ranked seventh in total yards allowed (294.8) and eighth in scoring defense (16.5 points). The Nittany Lions are set to return many key players from the team that also made it to the College Football Playoff.
