Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said he was grateful for his three years at OSU, but the pull of his home state lured him away.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are riding high off a national championship season in which the defense was phenomenal throughout the year. Now, it appears that the defense is about to be shaken up. According to a report by Toby Rowland the voice of the Oklahoma Sooners,

Nittany Lions coach James Franklin seeks to make a bold move, hiring the architect of the Buckeyes' championship defense.

Penn State announced Monday it had hired Jim Knowles as its defensive coordinator. According to multiple reports, Knowles reached a three-year contract with an average annual salary of $3.1 million. Knowles is a Philadelphia native. In a statement, Knowles said he was "excited for this opportunity" to join the Nittany Lions' program.

Ohio State’s defensive coordinator is celebrating winning a national championship with a new contract — from one of their rivals.

Penn State has hired Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator after he helped Ohio State win the national championship, according to multiple reports. The Buckeyes had hoped to keep the 59-year-old Knowles, who also was pursued by Oklahoma and Notre Dame.

Few defensive coordinators in college have a better-looking resume than Jim Knowles. Penn State’s first-year DC directed a championship defense at Ohio State last season. His 2021 Oklahoma State defense put up extraordinary numbers.

Penn State has reportedly added Shane Eachus as a defensive backs coach and Brent Zdebski as an analyst. Both have previously worked with Knowles in some capacity at previous stops in his coaching journey.