Ohio State’s defensive coordinator is marking a national championship victory with a new contract—courtesy of a rival.
After leading the Buckeyes’ defense for three seasons, Jim Knowles is making the switch to Penn State, following the Nittany Lions’ offer of a three-year deal valued at $3.1 million annually, as reported by ESPN.
The contract reportedly makes Knowles the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football and the first college coordinator to earn a base salary of at least $3 million.
Ohio State reportedly offered Jim Knowles a contract exceeding $2.5 million annually, which would have made him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the nation—but it wasn’t enough to keep him.
According to the report, Notre Dame, which lost to Ohio State in the championship game, and Oklahoma also expressed interest in Knowles.
During the championship season, the 59-year-old Knowles had a base salary of $2.2 million but earned nearly $3 million with bonuses.
During the 2024-25 season, Ohio State boasted the nation’s top defense, allowing just 254.6 yards and 12.9 points per game.
The previous season, the Buckeyes ranked third in yards allowed per game (265.4) and second in points allowed (11.2).
Before his time at Ohio State, Jim Knowles served as a defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State and Duke and was the head coach at Cornell from 2004 to 2009.
The Buckeyes bounced back from a loss to rival Michigan by defeating Tennessee, undefeated Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame to win the College Football Playoff.
Penn State, which fell to Ohio State by seven points during the regular season, advanced to the CFP semifinals after beating SMU and Boise State in the first two rounds but was ultimately eliminated by Notre Dame.
Jim Knowles takes over from Tom Allen, the former Indiana head coach who departed Penn State after just one season to make a lateral move as Clemson’s defensive coordinator.
