Anything to the Knowles/PSU rumors?

[Soonerjaden]

Anyone know if the Jim Knowles to Penn State rumors have any substance? or is that just desperate PSU fans messing around with their buckeye rivals?
https://nittanysportsnow.com/2025/0...ign=penn-state-makes-push-to-poach-big-ten-dc

 

[OUSOONER67]

I haven't seen anything today but that would make less sense to me if true. And I heard OU has offered him 3.3 million to come, would PSU match or top that if the number is true?
Supposed to be an announcement today or tomorrow they say but at this point its rumors and speculation at best. Oh and nice avatar. 👍

 

[Deweygolfer]

I don't see any possible reason or scenario where it makes sense for Knowles to go to PSU. At this point it's either tOSU or OU, with in my opinion a slight edge to OU (provided the money is right !).

 

[OUSOONER67]

Yesterday P. Thune and his sidekick posted that it was a done deal and Knowles accepted OU's offer then a few seconds later they deleted it. Don't know if they jumped the gun or what that was all about. Someone posted it on the DB site.

 

[Soonerborn59]

Yesterday P. Thune and his sidekick posted that it was a done deal and Knowles accepted OU's offer then a few seconds later they deleted it. Don't know if they jumped the gun or what that was all about. Someone posted it on the DB site.

KRef radio show said the contract was sent to Knowles Wednesday and it was now a wait and see game. However Teddy seems to think its a done deal.

They did mention that PSU and ND put their name in the hat. Again though Teddy said he wasn’t that worried about it.

 

[Soonerborn59]

 

[OUSOONER67]

Save that money to buy out some offensive coaches dead weight and hire new ones, let BV keep running the D, the offensive side of the ball is where the focus should be. Hard to believe there was only one Coaching change on that side of the ball after this past seasons joke of an Offense.
All for not though whatever they do as I believe BV is probably gone after next season.

 

[Soonerborn59]

Save that money to buy out some offensive coaches dead weight and hire new ones, let BV keep running the D, the offensive side of the ball is where the focus should be. Hard to believe there was only one Coaching change on that side of the ball after this past seasons joke of an Offense.
All for not though whatever they do as I believe BV is probably gone after next season.

Next season is do or die for BV unless he has been told otherwise. The D isn’t elite yet ( but if they get Knowles it just might be) and the Arbuckle O is just average at worst then I think he survives another season.


With this deal not being done yet I am starting to think it was all propaganda. I mean if the reports are true that Knowles reached out to OU in November then why no signature and announcement? I don’t believe he will stay a Buckeye though.

 

[CTOkie]

Save that money to buy out some offensive coaches dead weight and hire new ones, let BV keep running the D, the offensive side of the ball is where the focus should be. Hard to believe there was only one Coaching change on that side of the ball after this past seasons joke of an Offense.
All for not though whatever they do as I believe BV is probably gone after next season.

Good post 67.
You can bet that there will be more doom and gloom if Knowles doesn’t come to OU, as if there’s no other capable defensive coach to be had.
A scenario with Venables taking charge of the defense and some other coaching changes are possible, as you mentioned.
I believe (and hope) that Venables brings in more transfer talent and continues to build the 2025 class and with Arbuckle and Mateer added, this team can be resurrected.
I think it makes more sense to allow Venables another year and to stop ignoring the injuries, weak offensive line and the toughest schedule in OU history.
I believe Venables has learned from his mistakes as well.

 

[Oklabama]

Check his Wikipedia. It’s just been updated indicating he accepted the PSU job today.

 

[coeSooner81]

Yes Knowles to Penn State.

 

[loopafied352]

Yes Knowles to Penn State.

Yep. He's gone. So much for our home run hire

 

[Soonerborn59]

So I guess PSU outbid OU? Again if this was his plan all along why did he bother reaching out to OU?

 

[Soonerborn59]

Penn State hires Jim Knowles from Ohio State, making him college football's highest-paid defensive coordinator

 

[coeSooner81]

Wes Goodwin come on down.

 

[Soonerborn59]

Wes Goodwin come on down.

I heard that Goodwin was a back-up plan but who the hell knows.

 

[Delmer Dean]

Is it really that big of a disappointment? Could not see BV letting go of that side of the and ultimately drama

It was a smart move by Knowles to drive his paycheck up.

 

[Delmer Dean]

Save that money for player s

 

[coeSooner81]

Not sure who is left out there as top DC's, esp with Ohio State and Notre Dame both needing Dc's, but BV may have to just hire the best linebacker coach he can find and he calls the defense. Read somewhere that BV wanted less on his plate and thats why he was looking for a DC. Calling defense, being head coach and having a wife with cancer was going to be to much.

 

[Soonerborn59]

Not sure who is left out there as top DC's, esp with Ohio State and Notre Dame both needing Dc's, but BV may have to just hire the best linebacker coach he can find and he calls the defense. Read somewhere that BV wanted less on his plate and thats why he was looking for a DC. Calling defense, being head coach and having a wife with cancer was going to be to much.

Honestly I am just really confused by all this. Again it was reported in the early stages that JK reached out to OU. Is this why OU decided not to match WV offer to keep ZA?

None of this is making sense. At this point it looks like OU will have to settle for a DC in name only to hold that title.

 

[Oklabama]

Curtis Lofton and Josh Norman are leaving Brent’s staff as well. Lofton is the “GM” and Norman heads up Brent’s SOUL program. May not be sufficient positions yet…

 

[Soonerborn59]

Below is a text I received from a friend this morning in regard to Jim Knowles.

Toby Rowland on radio said

“He basically said Knowles wasn’t on OU radar and he reached out. Then OU got into bidding war and looked as if bag was locked, but Toby said he found out Saturday and couldn’t say anything and when he tweeted like Joe C and BV that was the first they heard as well.”

Sounds to me like he never intended to take the OU job and used the leverage to get PSU and ND in on the sweepstakes.