Penn State DC Jim Knowles won’t return to Nittany Lions for 2026, per source
Penn State will have a new defensive coordinator next season.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles won’t be back at Penn State next year and is expected to land a job elsewhere, according to a source.
CBSSports’ Matt Zenitz reported Wednesday afternoon that Knowles has emerged as a possibility for the same role at Tennessee. On3’s Pete Nakos first reported that Knowles would not be retained at Penn State.
Knowles’ tenure with the Nittany Lions will only last a year and will likely go down as a disappointment. He was hired by James Franklin to take the defense to the next level and became the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the country with a three-year contract that averaged $3.1 million per year. Franklin pulled Knowles away from Ohio State shortly after he won a national title as the Buckeyes’ DC, but his group never reached the heights it was expected to in 2025.
The defensive coordinator put together strong performances against Oregon and Indiana, but still saw his defense give up drives late that cost Penn State each game.
New Penn State head coach Matt Campbell will be building out his staff and will likely have a mix of Iowa State assistants, Penn State assistants and coaches from elsewhere in the sport.
This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 2:59 PM.
