Jim Knowles has an impressive college football history, and on Monday night, he added a national title to it. The 59-year-old defensive coordinator led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the nation’s top defence this season, and he is now the belle of the offseason ball.
Knowles, Ryan Day’s highest-paid assistant, earns $2.2 million per year and is being chased by three renowned programs, all of which have made significant offers. Penn State, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame all require defensive coordinators, with Tom Allen departing Happy Valley for Clemson, Zac Alley fleeing Norman for Morgantown, and Al Golden taking on the assignment of repairing the Cincinnati Bengals defence. With Ohio State still in the running to keep Knowles, the four college football powerhouses have drove up the price significantly.
Wednesday, I mentioned that Knowles might be out of Penn State’s price range. Last season, the program paid Allen only $1.5 million to be the defensive coordinator, whereas Ohio State pays more than $2 million for each of its coordinators and has wide receiver coach Brian Hartline on the staff for $1.6 million per year, but it appears that price isn’t a barrier for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has reportedly put up a package for Knowles worth $3.2 million per year, the program’s highest annual salary for an assistant coach.
After making his first College Football Playoff appearance, James Franklin kept his veteran-laden roster intact, keeping Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, and others in blue and white for their final years of eligibility. That offseason success has put more pressure on Franklin to ultimately win “the big one,” which has eluded him throughout his 11-year career. That pressure, along with Knowles’ past success in Columbus, explains the program’s willingness to spend more than twice as much for its defensive coordinator, but even that amount does not guarantee his services.
Oklahoma has allegedly offered Knowles $3 million per year and has been confident in landing the former Oklahoma State assistant throughout the process. There is also the possibility that Ohio State will pay to keep him on the staff for their national title defence, while Notre Dame is a wild card. With so many well-funded programs involved, it’s difficult to predict whether Knowles will wind up in Happy Valley.
There is no better defensive coordinator on the market, and if Franklin and the school can kidnap Knowles from Day’s staff, it will be a heist at any price. This research suggests that Penn State’s pursuit is more than just smoke and mirrors, but it is far from certain.
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