It looks like Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners will not get their top choice to be their next defensive coordinator.
Toby Rowland, the radio voice of OU, reported Sunday that, "barring a last second change of heart," Knowles will leave Ohio State to be Penn State's defensive coordinator. The Sooners had found themselves in a rat race for Knowles with Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame.
Reliable sources confirm that barring last second change of heart, Jim Knowles is headed to Penn State. He has notified James Franklin that he’ll accept their offer of well over $3 million to be highest paid coordinator in college football history. Knowles is from Philly.
— Toby Rowland (@TRowOU) January 26, 2025
Multiple national outlets later echoed Rowland's report.
Rowland's report lined up with FootballScoop's report from earlier this week that said Penn State was willing to offer Knowles a salary of $3.2 million, making Knowles the highest-paid coordinator ever in college football. That same report said OU offered Knowles up to $3 million. For comparison, OU paid former defensive coordinator Zac Alley $850,000 in 2024.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported later Sunday that Penn State and Knowles had a three-year deal with an average salary of $3.1 million. According to George Stoia of SoonerScoop, OU offered a similar deal.
OU offered a similar package. https://t.co/SodpJvcW5X
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) January 26, 2025
Knowles made $2.2 million at Ohio State in 2024 during a season in which the Buckeyes won a national championship and had the best defense in the country under Knowles. However, multiple reports surfaced Saturday that Ohio State offered Knowles a raise that also would have made him the wealthiest coordinator in college football.
In a bidding war between multiple Blue Blood programs, Knowles was sure to end being the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football history, so it ultimately just came down to where he wanted to be.
Many believed OU was a frontrunner because Knowles' fiancée is reportedly from Oklahoma. Knowles also spent four years in the state as Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator before leaving for Ohio State.
Knowles ultimately returned home, though. He's from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and hasn't lived there since leaving to play at Cornell in 1983, then starting his coaching career.
The Sooners are now back to square one after nearly a month of looking for their next defensive coordinator. They still also must compete with Ohio State and Notre Dame for the top options.
However, this could also mean Venables will stay in-house for his next defensive coordinator. Venables was a great defensive coordinator and has always had a hand in his defense, even as a head coach. He also still has two co-defensive coordinators on his staff in Todd Bates and Jay Valai. Safeties coach Brandon Hall also has experience as a defensive coordinator.