Jim Knowles is grateful for the opportunity he had at Ohio State but felt Penn State was the right place for him after three seasons with the Buckeyes.
During his introductory press conference as Penn State’s defensive coordinator on Tuesday, Knowles spoke positively about his time with Ryan Day and the Buckeyes but said he chose to leave for the Nittany Lions because he always aspired to go to Penn State as a kid growing up in Philadelphia.
“I'm grateful for my time at Ohio State and the opportunity that Coach Day gave me. We had the No. 1 defense in the country. We won a national championship. Had great relationships with the players and with Coach Day and the administration, felt supported,” Knowles said. “You reach a point in your career where you’re given opportunities based on past performance, and Penn State, for me, growing up in inner-city Philly, was the epitome of college football when I was a kid. I was never talented enough to make it to Penn State as a player, but given the opportunity to do it now as a coach, it's really where I want to be to continue my career and bring any expertise that I can to the organization.”
Knowles was not asked directly about CBS Sports’ report on Monday that his decision to leave Ohio State was prompted by Day asking Knowles to make changes to his defense following Ohio State’s midseason loss to Oregon.
Asked if he had aspirations of becoming a head coach, Knowles said his only aspiration was to lead Penn State’s defense to the same success Ohio State’s defense achieved last season, believing the Nittany Lions are “so close” to becoming a national championship team.
“My aspiration is to help Penn State win the national championship and be the No. 1 defense in the country, and that’s really all I’m focused on,” Knowles said. “This is the place, because everything here is so close to winning it all, and I’m hopeful that I can help get it there.”
