On Sunday afternoon, news broke that Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was leaving the team to take on the same role with the Penn State Nittany Lions. But the circumstances surrounding his departure won’t sit well with Buckeye fans.
Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch reported on Saturday that Ohio State extended a new contract offer to Knowles that would have made him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. Meanwhile, Alex Gleitman of On3 revealed that the offer could have surpassed the $3.1 million Penn State offered him.
Despite Ohio State’s willingness to offer such a lucrative deal, Gleitman reports that Knowles “was fully intent on leaving Columbus no matter what.”
According to Gleitman, tensions between Knowles and head coach Ryan Day began after the Buckeyes’ October loss to Oregon. Following the lackluster showing in which the defense gave up 32 points, Day “was really hard on the defensive staff” and “got into it a little bit” with Knowles, demanding changes in response to the disappointing performance.
Gleitman’s report also indicates that Knowles wasn’t simply lured away by Penn State. Instead, he initiated conversations with both Penn State and Oklahoma as he tried to find a way out of Ohio State.
The timing of his exit added another layer of frustration for the Buckeyes.
On Sunday afternoon, as Ohio State celebrated its national championship victory with thousands of fans at the team’s home stadium, Knowles was notably absent. The news that he was leaving the team to join Penn State – one of Ohio State’s biggest rivals – came before the championship celebration had even concluded.
Making matters worse, Ohio State insider Jeremy Birmingham of Rivals.com and THE Podcast reported that Knowles stopped communicating with the Buckeyes, cutting off all contact with the team. He didn’t respond to the massive contract offer, leaving Ohio State uncertain about whether he would attend the national championship celebration at all.
The news also appeared to catch Ohio State players off guard, with several sharing surprised reactions on social media – though many of those posts have since been deleted.
Needless to say, Knowles’ decision was an unexpected twist, and it sparked a lot of reactions on social media, with many thinking this move from Knowles was classless.
“Guy is going to be 60 in a couple months and acted like a child. Good riddance,” one fan wrote on X.
“If any of this is true, I lost a lot of respect for a man that kept his head down and worked hard for the betterment of the team and players. To let this get out without telling the players AND on a day to celebrate them and their accomplishment is childish,” someone else said.
“Yeah regardless of whatever decision you make. On a day like today that was super low and unprofessional. You could tell if you saw when Day spoke some of the players faces told it all. Just a crazy thing to not even communicate or tell the players,” another person added.
“He never cared about the kids. Never cared about recruiting. It’s a shame because those kids loved him and believed in him,” someone else said.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen someone of his age and experience handle something so poorly. What a sour taste it left on a celebratory day,” another person wrote.
“Just a classless move,” someone else added.
Ohio State will face off against Knowles and the Nittany Lions next year as Penn State travels to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes on Nov. 1.
