Penn State football went from a head coach hunt to a defensive coordinator hunt. The Nittany Lions let Jim Knowles go when head coach Matt Campbell was hired. Since then, two potential options to replace Knowles went down the drain.
Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock has been with Campbell since 2014. After the announcement of Campbell's hiring, he intended to join his staff at Penn State. He would have taken over Knowles' position. On Tuesday, Dec. 23, Heacock announced he is retiring, saying "it's the right time for this coach to hang up his whistle.