Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is headed to the same position at Tennessee, according to multiple media outlets.
ESPN reported Wednesday that Penn State is negotiating a buyout for Knowles, who is owed more than $7 million over the remaining two years of the contract he signed when he joined the Nittany Lions before the 2025 season.
Knowles joined Penn State after helping Ohio State win the national title in 2024. The Buckeyes led the nation’s No. 1 defense to four wins in the College Football Playoff that season, including a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the title game. Ohio State only gave up 12.9 points and 254.6 yards per game.
When Knowles, a Pennsylvania native, joined the Nittany Lions, he became the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the country.
Penn State introduced Matt Campbell as its new head coach on Monday, replacing fired James Franklin, who landed the head coaching job at Virginia Tech in November.
Knowles, 60, is expected to replace Tim Banks, who was fired Monday from the Tennessee defensive coordinator position he has held since 2021.
The firing came just a year after Banks led a Vols defense that allowed just 16.1 points per game, the stingiest since the 1998 national title team, making Banks a finalist for the Broyles Award and giving him a contract extension through the 2027 season at $2.15 million per year.
However, Banks’ defense has struggled this season supporting one of the highest-scoring offenses in college football, allowing 28.8 points per game.
–Field level media
