$9M Rich Jim Knowles Admits Disturbing Ohio State Reality That Forced Him to Ditch Ryan Day for Big Ten Rival

“I think he’s (Jim Knowles) the best defensive coordinator in the country. Does an unbelievable job, did an unbelievable job throughout the season.” Ryan Day echoed these words as Ohio State went into its national title victory parade with full pomp and show. After all, they had won the title after a decade, and Day had redeemed himself after consecutive failures at winning the trophy. But, Jim Knowles? Well, the man being the OSU DC turned their defense formidable as the OSU stood 1st in points allowed per game (12.9), yards per game (255), and red zone touchdown percent (42%). Still, the praise leveled by Ryan Day for his DC was probably hollow, as Jim Knowles was nowhere to be found at the parade. This was something that was not an accident, as Jim Knowles now opened up.

The DC has been at Ohio State since 2022 and signed a three-year contract worth $1.9 million per year. Knowles even knew that the OSU job wouldn’t be easy, as the fans demand the highest from coaches with their motto, ‘championship or bust’. He backed it up, too, with continued progress over the season as the Buckeyes finished 14th in total defense in 2022 after having finished 59th the previous year. Knowles was a defensive mastermind who came to Ohio State, and the team was hungry for a national title. The chemistry was undoubtedly perfect. But after the natty win, all of this changed.

After winning the national title, a contract extension was due for Knowles at Ohio State, and he was naturally expecting the program to hand it out. The contract came, but the money? Well, it wasn’t what Knowles was expecting. Still, the DC thought, “But, maybe I’ll take less because Ohio State’s a great place,” he said to ESPN. But after that, Knowles was asked, as he says, “not to go to the parade,“. This was something that put the final nail in the coffin, and from then on, rejoining Ohio State took a backseat for him as he describes the whole ordeal in quite detail to ESPN.

“But then they asked me not to come to the parade. So then you’re like, ‘OK, honestly, the writing is on the wall.’ Now it becomes something. It’s always something in the outside world, but now it’s become something here, too… I wouldn’t say I’m not wanted here — but you just feel like, OK, now it’s gotten awkward.”.

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