Jim Knowles wanted out of Ohio State football, but was it just about the money? | Oller
Jim Knowles wanted out of Ohio State.
Before saying, “Duh, no kidding,” realize there are two ways to see the reasoning behind any job exit.
- 1. Running to something
- 2. Running from something.
We don’t know if Knowles was running specifically to Penn State – the school announced Monday morning the former OSU defensive coordinator was taking on the same role with the Nittany Lions – because reportedly he also was ready to run to Oklahoma or Notre Dame. Any port in a storm, apparently.
But running toward the money is a logical explanation. Penn State reportedly is paying the 59-year-old Philadelphia native $3.1 million to lose to Ohio State next season. He made 2.2 million this season, and OSU offered a contract extension that would have made him the highest paid defensive coordinator in college football. Michigan’s Wink Martindale will make $2.75 million in 2025.
I have to believe the Buckeyes would have upped their offer even further to keep him, and maybe even matched Penn State’s pot of gold. It’s not like OSU is broke.
Knowles wanted no part of it, because to these eyes he wanted something new. Maybe because working at Ohio State had gotten old? Did he want a new challenge after winning a national title? Want to get closer to Philadelphia? Were there personality conflicts within the OSU program? Is Knowles simply a rolling stone bent on gathering no moss? We don’t know, because … radio silence.
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The only communication thus far is a statement posted on social media that reads, in part: “I’m excited for this opportunity to join Penn State Football. … I have always had a ton of respect for Coach Franklin and the program he has built here. I look forward to working with this tremendous staff and group of student-athletes and am ready to get to work.”
Nothing enlightening there, except for the part about respecting Franklin. Hey, you have to schmooze your boss, even when it’s not 100% true, right?
Jim Knowles' heart clearly was not in Columbus
What seems certain is if Knowles really, really loved being at Ohio State, he would still be there. Instead, he ran. Like any job, money matters, but quality of life, which includes happiness at your place of employment, matters, too, especially when the cash differential was not so drastic as to offend. If his decision to leave was about feeling disrespected, money wasn’t the reason.
What was? Was he worried his reputation would suffer next season, when Ohio State loses eight starters on defense? No coach I know thinks that way. They are confident enough to believe they can make lemonade out of lemons, and it’s not like OSU is returning rancid fruit. Safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles are a strong foundation to build upon.
You may be wondering why the need to speculate on Knowles’ decision? It’s his life. Who are we to question his motives? I would counter that in 30-plus years of covering college football, never have I witnessed a lateral move like this. (Chip Kelly’s move from head coach at UCLA to offensive coordinator at Ohio State was unusual, but occurred under different circumstances, i.e. he was tired of being the top dog).
I won’t go so far as to label Knowles’ decision traitorous. Such inflammatory language needs to be scaled back, similar to comparing football to war. Ask the remaining survivors of D-Day about that.
Still, leaving for Penn State? It’s a head-scratcher. Sorting through the rubble, I wonder how much it bothered Knowles after the 32-31 loss to Oregon on Oct. 12 when Ryan Day delivered a do-or-die message about the defense needing to be retooled, then began sitting in more often on defensive meetings.
“You put patches or Band-Aids on things, and then all of a sudden you get a loss and it gets ripped open and you have harder conversations,” Day said then. “You make bigger decisions, and you just drive it harder. It's just the way it goes after a loss.”
Ohio State defense improved after Oregon loss
And it worked. Knowles’ defense, performing well until the Oregon loss, took it up a notch during the playoffs, finishing first nationally in total defense and scoring defense.
There also have been whispers for a few years that Knowles and defensive line coach Larry Johnson did not always mesh. Day has refuted it, but in an era when assistant coaches, and especially coordinators, have become celebrities in their own right, it could be that sharing stardom did not appeal to Knowles.
Best guess? Knowles based his decision on a variety of factors already mentioned. Having his defense second-guessed. Wanting a new challenge. And money. Definitely money. He both ran from Ohio State and to a new opportunity.
Ohio State fans may not like it, but drill down and you find the oily truth: Jim Knowles is a gun for hire.