Back to the Ohio State Buckeyes Newsfeed

Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles Says He Left Ohio State Due to Late Contract Extension Offer, Request Not to Attend Championship Celebration

Apparently, for Jim Knowles, it was all a matter of timing.

The former Ohio State turned Penn State defensive coordinator detailed his reasons for jumping from the Buckeyes to the Nittany Lions in an interview with ESPN, and what Knowles said started him down a path elsewhere wasn't a feud with any OSU coach but a contract extension offer that didn't arrive when he wanted.

Knowles wanted an extension before Ohio State's College Football Playoff national championship game against Notre Dame. If he had gotten one, he claims he "wouldn't have explored or considered" other options.