Penn State, James Franklin officially announce hiring of Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles
Penn State has officially appointed its new defensive coordinator. On Monday morning, the Nittany Lions announced the hiring of Jim Knowles, who comes from Ohio State, securing one of the top defensive strategists in the country.
“I’m thrilled for the chance to be part of Penn State Football,” Knowles stated in a press release. “I want to express my gratitude to Coach Franklin, Pat Kraft, and President Neeli Bendapudi for this opportunity. I have always had immense respect for Coach Franklin and the program he has built. I’m eager to collaborate with this outstanding staff and talented group of student-athletes, and I’m ready to hit the ground running.”
Knowles, a native of Pennsylvania, spent three seasons under Ryan Day at Ohio State, where he played a key role in transforming the defense. In 2024, the Buckeyes achieved impressive rankings, finishing No. 1 in both scoring defense (12.9 points per game) and total defense (allowing only 254.6 yards per game), as well as No. 3 in both rushing (87.63 yards per game) and passing defense (167 yards per game).
The 59-year-old replaces Tom Allen, who left earlier this month to become the defensive coordinator at Clemson. During Allen’s tenure, the Nittany Lions ranked No. 8 in the nation for scoring defense (16.5 points per game), No. 9 in rushing defense (101.88 yards per game), No. 31 in passing defense (192.9 yards per game), and No. 7 in total defense (294.8 yards per game).
“Please join me in welcoming Jim Knowles back home to Pennsylvania as the Defensive Coordinator of Penn State Football,” said head coach James Franklin. “He is a strategic thinker and possesses an exceptional defensive acumen. He embodies the core values that our culture of excellence is founded on. We look forward to having Jim and his family in Happy Valley.”
Penn State’s defense is poised to bring back several key players for 2025, including defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, defensive tackle Zane Durant, safety Zakee Wheatley, linebacker Dominic DeLuca, and defensive end Smith Vilbert, all of whom have confirmed their returns. Additionally, important starters like cornerback A.J. Harris and linebacker Tony Rojas are also expected to return.
With Knowles now on board, the team is set for an exciting season ahead.
Knowles hails from Philadelphia and attended St. Joseph’s Prep for high school. He played as a defensive end at Cornell before embarking on a nine-year career there, where he served as defensive line coach, running backs coach, recruiting coordinator, and linebackers coach.
After departing from his alma mater, Knowles spent six seasons at Western Michigan as the defensive line coach and eventually became the defensive coordinator before returning to Ithaca, N.Y., to serve as head coach at Cornell for nine years, finishing with a record of 26-34.
Following his time at Cornell, Knowles took on the role of defensive coordinator at Duke for eight seasons, during which he also coached safeties and inside linebackers. He then moved on to Oklahoma State to serve as defensive coordinator under Mike Gundy. In 2021, Knowles’ final season with the Cowboys, his defense achieved impressive rankings, finishing No. 4 in total defense (allowing 297.9 yards per game) and No. 9 in scoring defense (giving up 18.1 points per game).
Penn State will kick off the 2025 season against Nevada at Beaver Stadium on August 30.
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