Jim Knowles Hired in SEC after 1 Year At Penn State

Penn State Football defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will not return to Happy Valley for a second year in 2026.

One year after former Penn State head coach James Franklin made Knowles the highest-paid coordinator in college football, Knowles will be heading to Tennessee for the 2026 season and will not be joining Matt Campbell’s staff in Happy Valley, per On3’s Chris Low.

Jim Knowles Heads to Tennessee After Penn State Disappointment

Knowles was the splash hire of last offseason by James Franklin after Knowles led the No. 1-ranked defense in the nation at Ohio State in 2024 and won the national championship with the Buckeyes last January.

Despite the success in Columbus under Ryan Day, Knowles did not find the same success at Penn State this season. After ranking inside the top 10 in total defense in 2022 through 2024, the Nittany Lions‘ defense regressed this season under Knowles and ranked 34^th in the nation.

Earlier this week, Pete Nakos of On3 Sports reported that Jon Heacock was set to join Campbell’s staff at Penn State after spending ten seasons with Campbell at Iowa State and three seasons with him at Toledo.

Heacock was named a Broyles Award nominee in 2022 and 2024 for his work with the Iowa State defense under Campbell. It is unclear, however, if Heacock will be the defensive coordinator for Campbell at PSU, or whether he will hold a different title in Happy Valley.

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Robert Shields

Penn State Football Reporter at NittanyCentral

Robert Shields covers Penn State Football for Nittany Central. As a Penn State graduate, Robert has covered Penn State football since 2019, but had been a fan of the Nittany Lions for well over a decade. During his undergraduate education, Robert was a manager in the athletic department of a division III school, working in various aspects of athletic management at football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse games.

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About the Author

Robert Shields

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Robert Shields covers Penn State Football for Nittany Central. As a Penn State graduate, Robert has covered Penn State football since 2019, but had been a fan of the Nittany Lions for well over a decade. During his undergraduate education, Robert was a manager in the athletic department of a division III school, working in various aspects of athletic management at football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse games.

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