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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State football coach James Franklin announced the hiring of Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator Monday morning.
Knowles reportedly will earn $3.1 million annually over three years to become the highest-paid coordinator in college football history.
“Join me in welcoming Jim Knowles back to his home in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the defensive coordinator of Penn State football,” Franklin said in a statement. “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.”
“I am excited for this opportunity to join Penn State football,” Knowles said. “I would like to thank Coach Franklin, (Athletic Director) 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 replaces Tom Allen, who left to take the same job with Clemson after Penn State fell to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
While Penn State will lose several starters off a defense that finished seventh in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards allowed – including Big Ten defensive player of the year Abdul Carter, who is heading to the NFL – defensive linemen Zane Durant and Dani Dennis-Sutton, linebacker Tony Rojas and cornerback A.J. Harris will return.
Knowles, a native of Philadelphia and an alum of St. Joseph’s Prep, joins the Nittany Lions after spending three seasons as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator. He played a key role in Ohio State’s 2024 national championship run, as he led a defense that ranked first…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-football-nittany-lions-045900239.html
Author : The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
Publish date : 2025-01-28 04:59:00
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