Apparently, for Jim Knowles, it was all a matter of timing.
The former Ohio State turned Penn State defensive coordinator detailed his reasons for jumping from the Buckeyes to the Nittany Lions in an interview with ESPN, and what Knowles said started him down a path elsewhere wasn't a feud with any OSU coach but a contract extension offer that didn't arrive when he wanted.
Knowles wanted an extension before Ohio State's College Football Playoff national championship game against Notre Dame. If he had gotten one, he claims he "wouldn't have explored or considered" other options.
"I did not want to put anyone, including myself, in a position to have to deal with it immediately following the national championship game," Knowles told ESPN. "And that's the way it happened."
Knowles started reaching out to teams immediately after the Buckeyes won college football's ultimate crown. Penn State head coach James Franklin received a call at 5:06 a.m. from Knowles two days after the title victory while on a recruiting trip, per ESPN.
"Season's over, everything coming to a head again quickly," Knowles said. "Ohio State hasn't come forward with a deal, and it's like, OK, if I'm going to act on this or at least explore it, I have got to make the call."
Offers came pouring in as any big-time program in need of a defensive coordinator had a significant interest in Knowles. He took an Ohio State defense in complete disarray at the end of former DC Kerry Coombs' tenure and built it into the nation's No. 1 scoring (12.9 points per game) and total (254.6 yards per game) defense within three years.
Ohio State did offer Knowles an extension after the championship that would have made him the nation's highest-paid DC, with a reported salary of $2.75 million. The offer he ultimately accepted from the Nittany Lions came in at $3.1 million, however, and he reportedly had similar offers from Oklahoma and Notre Dame.
Knowles flew to Oklahoma to visit his fiancée and weigh his options. Then – while he says he was still undecided – Ohio State asked him not to come to the Buckeyes' championship celebration in the Shoe on Jan. 26.
"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."
It also helped Knowles' decision that he is from Philadelphia originally.
With Knowles in tow, Penn State will play Ohio State in Ohio Stadium on Nov. 1. Both teams are expected to be national title contenders in 2025.
