Heather Dinich: Jim Knowles would've stayed at Ohio State if contract offer was presented before national championship

Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles wasn’t exactly prepared to leave Ohio State following the 2024 season. He helped elevate the Buckeyes defense and win a national title, but explored other options in the offseason.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported Knowles was ready to stay with the Buckeyes long term prior to the national championship. But with no contract extension on the table, he explored the market.

That ultimately led him to Penn State, much closer to home. Now, he’ll attempt to elevate the Nittany Lions defense in an effort to win another championship. 

“I sat down with Jim in his office at Penn State last month, and he told me that it boiled down to the timing of Ohio State’s contract extension offer,” Dinich said on The Pat McAfee Show. “He said had Ohio State offered him a contract extension before the national championship game, he would not have considered other options, but that didn’t happen. And so everything happened quickly. After the national championship game, the door opened to explore other opportunities. 

“He reached out to Penn State, where he’s from. You know, Philly. He grew up a Penn State fan. A lot of it made sense, and $3.1 million also helped steal the deal. So Penn State got a huge hire. I could call it, maybe the best coordinator hire of the off season. And it’ll be interesting to see how much his knowledge of Ohio State helps the Nittany Lions this Fall.”

Knowles also opened up on his departure from Ohio State. Since he signed the contract with Penn State, he actually didn’t go to the championship parade.

“I was asked not to go to the parade, and I respect that,” Knowles told ESPN. “I’m not trying to be a secretive guy. Here’s this offer, there were a couple others that were every bit as much money, and then there was Ohio State’s offer, which was still great money, but not as much, so then you have to sit with it.”

Could he have stayed? Sure. But Knowles is onto the next challenge at Penn State and has moved on from Columbus.

“Maybe I’ll take less because Ohio State’s a great place,” Knowles said. “But then they asked me not to come to the parade. So then you’re like, ‘OK, honestly, the writing is on the wall.’ Now it becomes something. It’s always something on the outside world, but now it’s become something here, too.

“I hadn’t made any decisions, but you just kind of feel like — I wouldn’t say I’m not wanted here — but you just feel like, OK, now it’s gotten awkward.”