A statement no question has been made by Penn State football head coach James Franklin. Throughout the week, there's been plenty of speculation that perhaps Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who just helped the Buckeyes win the natty, could be moving elsewhere.
Per multiple reports, Knowles was being targeted by Penn State, Oklahoma and Notre Dame to bring Knowles in as defensive coordinator. Breaking news has just arrived that Knowles has made his decision and he'll indeed be packing his bags and leaving Columbus. His next stop? According to Oklahoma's Voice of the Sooners Toby Rowland, it will be Penn State:
Reliable sources confirm that barring last second change of heart, Jim Knowles is headed to Penn State. He has notified James Franklin that he’ll accept their offer of well over $3 million to be highest paid coordinator in college football history. Knowles is from Philly.
— Toby Rowland (@TRowOU) January 26, 2025
Ohio State's Jim Knowles will reportedly become Penn State's new defensive coordinator
According to Rowland's sources, Knowles is set to become the highest-paid coordinator in college football history, with more than $3 million coming his way per season. This is a stunning amount of money, but it shows that the university is going all-in to help Franklin bring home a natty, which is what he and his players saw OSU just get done.
Penn State had an opening at DC with Tom Allen leaving to take over the Clemson defense for Dabo Swinney. Franklin knew he had to make a splash to replace Allen, with Penn State doing just that by making sure it did whatever was needed to poach Knowles from a hated Big Ten rival.
Keep in mind that Allen was making around $1.5 million as Penn State's DC this past season. So, the Nittany Lions are now doubling that salary for his replacement? Head-turning doesn't even begin to describe things here.
Oklahoma also reportedly put an offer of around $3 million on the table for the 59-year-old coordinator, but Franklin's sales pitch appears to have sent the Nittany Lions over the top. Penn State reached the College Football Playoff this winter, but suffered a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in the semifinal.
Since then, Franklin has been working overtime to make sure the program will be in a great position to make even more noise next season. Adding Knowles certainly delivers in that department, while it's no question a massive hit for the reigning national champs.