It’s official. As part of new Penn State head coach Matt Campbell’s staff moves, another piece of the puzzle has been set. Earlier reports suggested Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock would follow Campbell to Penn State, leaving the question of whether it would be as an analyst
or a coordinator. It appears we have our answer to that question, as Jim Knowles will not be retained by Penn State.
At least for one season, Knowles was the highest paid coordinator in college football. His defenses are notoriously complex to implement and take a couple of seasons to master, leading to the well documented struggles in 2024 for a Nittany Lion defense that had been one of the best for over a decade. Knowles will not be lacking for suitors after the news, given both Notre Dame and Oklahoma were vying for his services when Penn State hired him.
As per the Lions, Heacock’s defense, a 3-3-5 scheme, will need some adjustments in the Big Ten. Good news is that Penn State is able to afford recruit the kind of player required for more traditional sets (or even the 4-2-5 scheme Knowles and Tom Allen ran), and Heacock will no longer need to run his scheme out of necessity.
We with Jim Knowles the best in his future endeavors!
