Jim Knowles: Penn State football is ‘where I want to be’

Penn State football fired a warning shot for the rest of the college football world when it hired Ohio State’s Jim Knowles to run the Nittany Lions defense. James Franklin stayed in conference to bring one of the top assistant coaches in the country to Happy Valley.

Now with a full week on the job, Knowles met with the media for the first time on Tuesday. Trading in his Scarlet and Gray for Blue and White, there’s no other place Knowles would rather be.

“I’m grateful for my time at Ohio State and the opportunity that Coach [Ryan] Day gave me,” Knowles said. “We had the number one defense in the country. We won a National Championship. Had great relationships with the players and with Coach Day and the administration; felt supported.

“You reach a point in your career where you’re given opportunities based on past performance. And like I’ve said, Penn State, for me, growing up in inner-city Philly, was the epitome of college football when I was a kid. And I was never talented enough to make it to Penn State as a player. But given the opportunity to do it now as a coach, it’s really where I want to be to continue my career and bring any expertise that I can to the organization.”

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Knowles led the top defensive unit across multiple statistical categories last fall, with the Buckeyes ranking first in points and yards allowed. The new national champions also ranked in the top five in the red zone and against the run. Under Tom Allen, Penn State football also ranked in the top 10 in those same areas last season.

The Philadelphia native comes to Happy Valley under a historic contract. Knowles is set to receive $9.3 million over the next three seasons, making him the highest-paid coordinator in college football.

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