Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said he was grateful for his three years at OSU, but the pull of his home state lured him away.

The Penn State Nittany Lions football team officially introduced new defensive coordiantor Jim Knowles to the media on Tuesday, Feb, 4. The newest defensive leader under head coach James Franklin, addressed the assembled reporters in Pegula Ice Arena due to the construction at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State made the hiring of new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles official on Monday. Here's what each had to say about the move

Penn State announced Monday it had hired Jim Knowles as its defensive coordinator. According to multiple reports, Knowles reached a three-year contract with an average annual salary of $3.1 million. Knowles is a Philadelphia native. In a statement, Knowles said he was "excited for this opportunity" to join the Nittany Lions' program.

Penn State’s new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles met the media for the first time Tuesday for the first time since signing his contract last week. Knowles talked about leaving Ohio State after a National Championship, the 2025 potential for the Nittany Lions and even growing up in Philadelphia.

The Nittany Lions reportedly made the former Ohio State assistant college football's highest-paid defensive coordinator.

CBS Sports reports that Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is leaving the Buckeyes to join James Franklin's staff at Penn State. Knowles is expected to be paid an average of $3.1 million over three years, according to ESPN . During Knowles' time at Ohio State, the Buckeyes ranked in the top three in total defense for two of those years.

Few defensive coordinators in college have a better-looking resume than Jim Knowles. Penn State’s first-year DC directed a championship defense at Ohio State last season. His 2021 Oklahoma State defense put up extraordinary numbers.

Penn State has reportedly added Shane Eachus as a defensive backs coach and Brent Zdebski as an analyst. Both have previously worked with Knowles in some capacity at previous stops in his coaching journey.