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Fresh off a national championship run with Ohio State, Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has accepted the same position at Big Ten rival Penn State, Matt Zenitz confirms. Knowles is expected to become the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the history of college football with a salary range averaging $3.1 million over three years, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Knowles, a Philadelphia native with strong ties to the Northeast, transformed the Buckeyes’ defense during an impressive three-year stint. Ohio State ranked top three in total defense each of the past two seasons and led the nation by holding opponents to 254.6 yards per game and 4.2 yards per play during a historic campaign.
Prior to Ohio State, Knowles emerged as a standout name at Oklahoma State, where he led the Cowboys to a top-five national defense and appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game in 2021. He previously had a standout stretch at Duke as a defensive coordinator and served as coach of Cornell, his alma mater, from 2004-2009.
At Penn State, Knowles will be tasked with continuing to elevate one of the top defenses in college football. The Nittany Lions ranked No. 6 nationally under previous defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who left after one season to take the same position at Clemson. Despite three defensive coordinators in the past four seasons, the Nittany Lions have ranked top 10 nationally in defense each season.
Knowles picked Penn State’s massive contract offer over major interest from Oklahoma and a strong push from Ohio State to keep him. Penn State will rank among the national favorites entering the 2025 season with the return of quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Offensive coordinator Andy…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/penn-state-hires-jim-knowles-from-ohio-state-making-him-college-footballs-highest-paid-defensive-coordinator/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2025-01-26 19:39:00
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