Jim Knowles did not attend Ohio State football's championship celebration before leaving for Penn State. One Big Ten coach came to Knowles' defense.

For the second season in a row and the third time in four seasons, Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin was forced to hire a new defensive coordinator. He, ultimately, landed on poaching Jim Knowles from the Ohio State Buckeyes.

In the days after the Orange Bowl, Penn State’s players gathered on campus for a team meeting. At that point in January, they found out defensive coordinator Tom Allen was leaving for Clemson and that James Franklin would do his part to hire the best candidate he could.

Franklin and Knowles previously had discussed a job at Penn State. An early morning call two days after Ohio State's national championship began the process.

Knowles had options, and Penn State had to open up the checkbook to get the well-regarded coach to Happy Valley.

Penn State's James Franklin explained, for the first time, of hiring away top defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Ohio State.

Jim Knowles was introduced as Penn State's defensive coordinator on Tuesday. Here's what he said about leaving Ohio State football.

Jim Knowles landed at Penn State less than a week after helping Ohio State win the national championship. In those precious days following the College Football Playoff finale, the sought-after defensive coordinator had options from which to choose.

Franklin had talked to Knowles in December 2021 shortly after defensive coordinator Brent Pry, one of his longtime assistants, left Penn State to become head coach at Virginia Tech. Knowles wound up going to Ohio State and the Lions ended up hiring Manny Diaz, who enjoyed two very successful seasons before he became head coach at Duke.