Jim Knowles looks set to head to his third school in three seasons.
according to multiple reportsThe longtime college assistant is expected to become Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator after entering into buyout negotiations with Penn State.
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Knowles comes to Penn State after coordinating Ohio State’s defense during the Buckeyes’ championship run in 2024. He became Penn State’s highest-paid defensive coordinator, but things didn’t go as planned to start the season for a team ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25.
After a 3-0 start, Penn State lost three straight games to fall to 3-3. A third loss, to Northwestern, led to the firing of coach James Franklin. Penn State ended the season with six straight losses and a three-game winning streak to end the season in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson, also an underachieving 2025 class.
In 2025, the Nittany Lions are allowing 21.4 points per game and 5.3 yards per play. Penn State has allowed at least 30 points in four games, including a 38-14 loss to Ohio State on Nov. 1.
Last season, the Buckeyes allowed the fewest points in the country with 12.9 points, rebounding from a Week 13 loss to Michigan to win four straight games in the College Football Playoff. Knowles left the Buckeyes for their rival shortly after the season, and Ohio State replaced him with longtime NFL coach Matt Patricia.
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Knowles will replace Tim Banks at Tennessee. In 2025, the Volunteers are allowing nearly 29 points per game and 5.5 yards per game while opposing quarterbacks are averaging nearly 250 yards per game. A season ago, Tennessee was one of the best defenses in college football, allowing just 189 passing yards per game.
Knowles played three seasons at Ohio State before heading to Penn State. Prior to joining the Buckeyes, he served as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State for four seasons and Duke for eight seasons.
