Penn State was forced to fill its defensive coordinator role for the second consecutive season, and like last year’s search, a veteran coach always made the most sense — someone who could step in and lead a defense with established veteran pieces and annual success.  

Penn State football coach James Franklin accomplished that goal with a big swing, moving to hire Jim Knowles, the defensive coordinator for national champion Ohio State. Though the hire won’t be official until Monday, Penn State has made one of the most eye-catching moves of college football’s offseason. From his Pennsylvania roots to his road to Penn State, here’s what to know about Knowles.

Where is Jim Knowles from?

Knowles is a Pennsylvania native, one potential reason for his interest in becoming Penn State’s defensive coordinator. The 59-year-old was raised in Philadelphia and graduated from St. Joseph’s Prep in 1983. Knowles was an All-Catholic League linebacker at St. Joseph’s Prep, where he also wrestled and competed in crew.

“I grew up on the main streets of North Philly,” Knowles said before Ohio State’s championship matchup with Notre Dame. “… Raised by a Philly cop, so there’s an intensity that goes with that. You spend time around them, and it’s my job to be hard on [the players] in practice. Be detailed, and on top of my game, and have all the answers, and find what motivates them. Because on game day, that’s the time for them to play.”

Jim Knowles briefly worked on Wall Street before coaching

Knowles played defensive end at Cornell in the 1980s, winning three letters at defensive end and was All-Ivy League in 1986. Interestingly, he didn’t begin his career in the football world. After graduating from Cornell in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, he briefly worked on Wall Street after college before beginning his coaching career at his alma mater.

“I used to wake up from nightmares that I didn’t get into coaching, and then 10 years later I wanted to and it would be too late,” Knowles said in a video produced by Oklahoma State after he got hired there. “So I gave it all up to make $3,000 and get free meals from the cafeteria.”

A look at Jim Knowles’ coaching career

Knowles began his coaching career at Cornell 1988, working with both offensive and defensive position groups; he coached linebackers for two years and running backs for six. Knowles also spent two years as Cornell’s recruiting coordinator before joining the Western Michigan staff in 1997. In 2002, Knowles’ second season as Western Michigan’s defensive coordinator, the Broncos led the MAC in total defense and coached the program’s first NFL first-round pick (Jason Babin).

After seven years at Western Michigan, Knowles moved to Mississippi, where he spent 2003 as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. That led him back to his alma mater in 2004 to become head coach. Knowles best season was 2005, when Cornell went 6-5.

Jim Knowles becomes a defensive coordinator

In 2010, then-Duke head coach David Cutcliffe hired Knowles (they had worked together at Mississippi) to become his defensive coordinator. That began a run where Knowles upgraded defenses everywhere he went. In his last season at Duke, Knowles led a 2017 Blue Devils defense that ranked among the nation’s top 25 in seven categories, including total defense.

“Driven, excited, maybe bizarre at times,” Cutcliffe told The Oklahoman about Knowles in 2010. “But that is a bizarreness about him that you learn to love quickly.”

Prior to joining Ryan Day’s staff at Ohio State in 2022, Knowles spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. In 2021 he was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant after guiding the Cowboys to top-5 FBS rankings in sacks (No. 1), tackles for loss (No. 2), third-down defense (No. 2), total defense (No. 5) and rushing defense (No. 5).

“I’m a guy that worked my way up, and all of a sudden you are dealing with four- and five-star athletes, so you really have no idea how they are going to handle my style of coaching,” Knowles said prior to the national championship. “But they really are good people, and they want to be coached.”

Jim Knowles gets a big contract at Ohio State

Before joining Penn State, Knowles was one the highest-paid coordinators in college football. Per USA Today’s college football assistant coach salaries database, Knowles made $2.2 million last season, which ranked third among assistants in the sport. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Knowles also earned a bonus worth up to $770,000 for winning the national championship. Seeking to retain Knowles, Ohio State reportedly offered the defensive coordinator a huge extension offer, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Ohio State’s defensive improvement under Knowles

The Buckeyes saw an immediate defensive turnaround under Knowles. In 2021, Ohio State ranked 59th in total defense (372.6 yards allowed per game). In Knowles’ first season as defensive coordinator, the 2022 Buckeyes ranked 14th in the same statistic (321.5 yards) and third (265.4) in 2023.

He told the Columbus Dispatch before the 2024 season there were “no limits to how good” Ohio State could be defensively, backing that sentiment up with the No. 1 total defense (254.6 yards allowed per game) and a title.

More Penn State Football

Penn State has the championship blueprint. Can it put the whole thing together in 2025?

How much is the Penn State football program worth?

An early look at Penn State’s 2025 football schedule

Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports.