Why is Jim Knowles leaving Ohio State for Penn state? Exploring potential reasons for his exit

Jim Knowles joined the Ohio State Buckeyes as their defensive coordinator back in 2022. During the 2024 season, he played a major part in helping the program win its first national championship under head coach Ryan Day. The Ohio State defense allowed only 12.9 points per game and recorded 53 total sacks, taking the top spot in both stats in the Big Ten.

However, after just winning the natty, Jim Knowles has already made the decision to part ways with Ohio State. According to reports, he is signing a new deal to become the defensive coordinator of the Penn State Nittany Lions. But why is he leaving the Buckeyes?

Why is Jim Knowles leaving Ohio State?

While he has not spoken publicly about the reason behind his departure, some experts and Buckeyes fans speculate that Jim Knowles chose to leave Ohio State because of differences in opinion in his defensive scheme.

Another reason could be the lucrative offer made by Penn State that will now make Knowles the highest-paid coordinator in the nation. Furthermore, Penn State's defense was one of the best during the 2024 season.

With the return of starters like Tony Rojas, Zane Durant, AJ Harris, and Zion Tracy to name a few next season, Jim Knowles will have a better starting point than he did when he left Oklahoma to join Ohio State.

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How much does Jim Knowles make at Ohio State?

For the 2024 season, Ohio State paid Knowles a base salary of $2.2 million. He also earned bonuses for winning the national championship that pushed his earnings close to the $3 million mark.

Following the season, the program offered a new deal to Knowles that would have made him the highest-paid coordinator in the nation. This meant that he would surpass the $2.5 million annual earnings of Michigan DC Wink Martindale and the LSU Tigers' DC Blake Baker.

However, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that the Penn State Nittany Lions made Knowles a better offer than the Buckeyes, with his salary averaging around $3.1 million over three years.

Ex-Penn State DC Tom Allen left to join Clemson after the 2024 season. Head coach James Franklin managed to make it to the semifinals of the 12-team playoffs this season.

Now with the addition of Knowles, he will be looking to compete for the conference title and natty next season. When Penn State takes on the Buckeyes in November, Knowles will now be on the other side of the spectrum during this conference rivalry showdown.