Report: Anthony Poindexter expected to remain at Penn State despite Jim Knowles hire

Penn State co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter is expected to remain on staff even after the Nittany Lions hired new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles away from Ohio State, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger.

Poindexter, who has been Penn State’s co-DC and safeties coach since 2021, was reportedly in line to take over as the full-time defensive coordinator role before Knowles — a Philadelphia native — allegedly showed interest in returning to his homestate, according to Dellenger. Poindexter, who was supportive of the Knowles hire, is expected to receive a new contract to remain in Happy Valley, per Dellenger.

Knowles is reportedly leaving the national champion Buckeyes after two seasons to take over the Nittany Lions defense, according to both Dellenger and Toby Rowland, the voice of the Oklahoma Sooners, who first reported the move along with the expectation Knowles will become college football’s highest-paid coordinator with a salary north of $3 million.

“Reliable sources confirm that barring last second change of heart, Jim Knowles is headed to Penn State,” Rowland wrote. “He has notified James Franklin that he’ll accept their offer of well over $3 million to be highest paid coordinator in college football history. Knowles is from Philly.”

Jim Knowles will be Penn State’s third DC in as many seasons

Penn State had been looking for its third defensive coordinator in as many seasons. Previously, Manny Diaz left to become the head coach at Duke while Tom Allen left to become the defensive coordinator at Clemson.

Jim Knowles is a native of Philadelphia who attended Cornell where he played on the football team. He then got into coaching in 1988 with Cornell. He would work his way up as a defensive assistant, including at Ole Miss, before becoming the head coach at his alma mater in 2004, holding the job through 2009. Since then, he’s had stops at Duke, Oklahoma State, and Ohio State as one of the best defensive coordinators in the sport.

In 2024, under Knowles, the Ohio State defense ranked first in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 12.9 points per game. They were also first in total defense, allowing 254.6 yards per game. The Penn State defense were no slouches in 2024. The Nittany Lions were eighth in scoring defense, giving up just 16.5 points per game. In terms of total defense, Penn State was seventh, giving up 294.8 yards per game.

Ohio State and Penn State were two of the four Big Ten teams to make it to the College Football Playoff this past season. They’re also the two Big Ten teams to make the deepest runs, with the Nittany Lions making it all the way to the semifinals while the Buckeyes won the national championship. Both teams are expected to be competitive again in 2025.

Dan Morrison contributed to this report.

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