Jim Knowles negotiating Penn State buyout, expected to land at Tennessee

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Jim Knowles negotiating Penn State buyout, expected to land at Tennessee

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK

Wed, Dec 10, 2025 ·

1 min read

Jim Knowles , one of college football's top defensive coordinators, is reportedly on the move.

According to multiple reports, Knowles is "negotiating his buyout" at Penn State and is expected to fill the vacant defensive coordinator spot at Tennessee . A deal with the Volunteers is not finalized yet, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Knowles' time at Penn State lasted one season, as he is not expected to be retained by new Penn State coach Matt Campbell .

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Should Knowles land at Tennessee, he will replace Tim Banks, who was fired by Vols coach Josh Heupel on Monday, Dec. 8 after five seasons with the Vols.

It's the second offseason that Knowles will be making a move, as he left defending College Football Playoff champion Ohio State for Penn State. Knowles had previously spent three seasons with the Buckeyes , and had one of the best defenses in the country in 2024. The Buckeyes' defense gave up an average of 18.8 points in the CFP last year en route to the national championship.

Knowles was the highest-paid assistant coach in college football with an annual salary of roughly $3.1 million, according to the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The Nittany Lions defense finished in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten in scoring defense (eighth, 21.4 points per game) and in total defense (ninth, 334.3 yards per game).