Jim Knowles made college football history over the weekend, becoming the highest paid defensive coordinator ever when he jumped from Ohio State to Penn State for a salary that will reportedly top $3 million per year.

Here’s a round-up of the latest news pertinent to Ohio State’s defensive coordinator search. Former Wisconsin defensive coordinator — and interim head coach (2022) — Jim Leonhard seems to be staying put in the NFL.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left the Buckeyes program in a surprising turn of events, accepting the same job with the Penn State Nittany Lions

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State football team is losing a ton on defense, including the man in charge of coordinating it.

As Ryan Day looks to hire his fourth defensive coordinator in seven seasons, here are potential candidates to replace Jim Knowles.

Knowles, a Philadelphia native with strong ties to the Northeast, transformed the Buckeyes' defense during an impressive three-year stint. Ohio State ranked top three in total defense each of the past two seasons and led the nation by holding opponents to 254.6 yards per game and 4.2 yards per play during a historic campaign.

The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.

Ohio State’s national title celebration was missing a notable face on Sunday, as Buckeye Nation shortly learned that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was leaving Columbus to take the same position at Penn State.