Getting To Know Penn State Football Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles

Penn State football has its man, folks.
James Franklin hired Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles for the same role in Happy Valley after Tom Allen was hired by Clemson earlier this month. Knowles becomes James Franklin’s third defensive coordinator in four years and is fresh off a national championship with the Buckeyes.
Entering his 37th year coaching, Knowles brings a loaded resume to the Nittany Lion sideline. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School (the Prep, as it’s known) before earning a degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell in 1987. Knowles played defensive end for the Big Red during his time as a student.
After graduation from Cornell, Knowles became one of its assistant coaches. He was the running backs coach from 1989 to 1994 with the Big Red, winning an Ivy League championship in 1988 and 1990. Knowles became the linebackers coach for the 1995 and 1996 seasons before heading to Western Michigan in 1997 to become the defensive line coach.
In 2001, Knowles was promoted to defensive coordinator, where he spent two seasons before heading to Ole Miss for a season as the linebackers coach.
Knowles left Ole Miss to become the head coach at Cornell, his alma mater, where he stayed from 2004 to 2009. During his time at the head of the Big Red, the future national champion racked up a 26-34 record before moving to Duke to become the safeties coach and eventual defensive coordinator of the Blue Devils. Knowles stayed with Duke until 2017 when he was named the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.
After a rough first year, Knowles transformed the Cowboys’ defense, finishing in the top 10 nationally in yards per play, yards per game, and points per game.
After the 2021 season, Knowles became the defensive coordinator at Ohio State. The Buckeyes remained a perennial top defense in the nation under the Philadelphia native. The 59-year-old won the 2024 national championship with Ohio State before leaving for Happy Valley. Knowles’ defense finished first in yards allowed and first in scoring defense during the 2024 season.
The Knowles hire is indicative of a push for success inside the Lasch Building. The Nittany Lion defense has also been one of the top units in the nation for the past few years, but Allen’s defense seemed to struggle more than Diaz’s group a year before.
While Abdul Carter is heading to the draft, the Penn State defense will return a host of veterans on both sides of the ball for the 2025 season. With the addition of Knowles and the retention of Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton, and Dom DeLuca, expectations are high in State College for next season.
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