New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles wants to push Penn State over the top [opinion]

Jim Knowles was the defensive coordinator the last three seasons at Ohio State, which has as many resources as any college football team in the country.

The Buckeyes won the national championship last month with the nation’s No. 1 defense.

Which makes Knowles’ decision to leave for the same position with Big Ten rival Penn State stunning.

The 59-year-old Philadelphia native praised Ohio State and coach Ryan Day Tuesday at his introductory press conference in State College and explained why he chose to join the Nittany Lions now after all of his success in Columbus.

“So close, so close,” Knowles said about Penn State. “Once you get past maybe being young and thinking you’re going to coach the Green Bay Packers, as you move forward in your career you really start thinking of how I can be of service, where can I add to a great team and be part of a great team.

“This is the place because everything here is so close to winning it all. I’m hopeful I can help get it there.”

Knowles has agreed to a three-year contract worth $3.1 million annually, making him the highest-paid assistant coach in the country.

He established himself as one of the game’s best defensive minds during eight years at Duke and four at Oklahoma State before Ohio State hired him for the 2022 season.

For Penn State and coach James Franklin, it’s a coup to add Knowles to an already strong defensive coaching staff and to take him away from Ohio State, the conference’s gold standard, which has beaten the Lions eight consecutive times.

“Incredibly supportive (and) incredibly welcoming,” Knowles said about Franklin and director of athletics Pat Kraft. “It’s not a cliche, but you feel the family. You feel the ‘We Are Penn State’ in that it means something to everybody.

“They just want to win and they want to win at the highest…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/defensive-coordinator-jim-knowles-wants-045000391.html

Author : Reading Eagle, Pa.

Publish date : 2025-02-05 04:50:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.