Penn State will be in the market for a new defensive coordinator this offseason.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, the Nittany Lions will not retain defensive coordinator Jim Knowles next season under head coach Matt Campbell. Knowles spent just one season in Happy Valley after signing a three-year deal that made him the highest-paid coordinator in college football history.
Penn State’s defense ranked No. 37 nationally in points allowed per game and No. 34 in yards allowed per game this season, which ranked middle of the pack among Big Ten schools. The Nittany Lions ranked top-10 in the country in both metrics a year ago and returned many of the same players from that team.
Tennessee has reportedly shown interest in Knowles after firing Tim Banks earlier this week, giving him a solid landing spot in the SEC. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Knowles is in the process of negotiating his buyout from Penn State, which owes him $7 million on the remaining two years of his contract.
Campbell may opt to bring in defensive coordinator Jon Heacock after they spent the last 12 seasons together at Toledo and Iowa State, though there are rumors of Heacock considering retirement.
Regardless, Penn State will search for its fifth defensive coordinator since 2021. Other roles to fill include tight ends coach, quarterbacks coach and running backs coach, as Ty Howle and Danny O’Brien followed James Franklin to Virginia Tech, while Stan Drayton is reportedly headed to South Carolina.
