Jim Knowles to Tennessee? Penn State's final buyout number for DC amid new job update
Jim Knowles is negotiating a buyout with Penn State and is expected to join Tennessee in the same role
Jim Knowles is negotiating a buyout with Penn State and is expected to join Tennessee in the same role, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported, citing sources. However, nothing has been finalized yet. This comes days after the Volunteers parted ways with former defensive coordinator Tim Banks after five seasons.
As the deal is finalized, it was revealed that the Nittany Lions will owe Knowles over $7 million for the two years left on his contract.
For Knowles, this will be his third different job in as many seasons. His brief stint at Penn State came after he helped guide Ohio State’s 2024 national title run, a performance that made him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football when he arrived in State College.
But the 2025 campaign quickly unraveled for a team that opened the year ranked No. 2 in the AP poll.
Penn State stormed out to a 3-0 start before collapsing with six consecutive losses, a skid that included a 38-14 defeat to Ohio State and a stunning loss to Northwestern that led to the firing of longtime head coach James Franklin. The Nittany Lions rallied late with three straight wins to reach the Pinstripe Bowl, but their defense struggled throughout the year. They surrendered 21.4 points per game, gave up 5.3 yards per play, and allowed 30 or more points four times.
Before joining Penn State, Knowles spent three seasons at Ohio State, where the Buckeyes rebounded from a blowout loss to Michigan to produce the nation’s top scoring defense at just 12.9 points allowed per game. He left shortly after the national championship season, and Ohio State replaced him with former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is searching for a reset after a disappointing 2025 season on defense. The Volunteers gave up nearly 29 points per game, allowed 5.5 yards per play, and struggled against the pass as opposing quarterbacks averaged almost 250 yards per outing.
This came just one year after Tennessee fielded one of the top defenses in the country, holding opponents to 189 passing yards per game. Knowles would succeed Tim Banks, who oversaw this year's regression.
Knowles’ resume spans more than a decade of high-profile defensive roles. Before his time at Ohio State, he led defenses at Oklahoma State for four seasons and spent eight seasons as Duke’s defensive coordinator.
No official statements have been made in the matter.
