Ohio State could have kept Jim Knowles had the program communicated its intentions with him, that’s at least according to Knowles.
Knowles sat down with ESPN saying it was all timing with Ohio State. Had it acted sooner, he would still be in Columbus.
“I did not want to put anyone, including myself, in a position to have to deal with it immediately following the national championship game,” Knowles said. “And that’s the way it happened.”
According to Knowles, at 5:06 am and days after Ohio State clinched the national championship, he rang Penn State coach James Franklin while Franklin was recruiting in Philadelphia.
“To be honest with you,” Franklin said, “I didn’t know how serious it was, but it went pretty quickly from that point on.”
“Season’s over, everything coming to a head again quickly,” Knowles said. “Ohio State hasn’t come forward with a deal, and it’s like, OK, if I’m going to act on this or at least explore it, I have got to make the call.”
Knowles seemed frustrated over Ohio State’s reluctance to give him a new deal as his was expiring. Knowles track record since his days at Oklahoma State was solid including last season’s defensive coaching opus: Finishing No. 1 in points allowed per game (12.9), yards allowed per game (255), yards allowed per play (4.2) and red zone touchdown percentage (42%).
The awkwardness reached its crescendo for Ohio State’s national championship parade.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“I was asked not to go to the parade, and I respect that,” Knowles told ESPN during an April interview. “I’m not trying to be a secretive guy. Here’s this offer, there were a couple others that were every bit as much money, and then there was Ohio State’s offer, which was still great money, but not as much, so then you have to sit with it.”
As Knowles continued to weigh Penn State’s offer for $3.1 million, the confluence of feeling not prioritized, not welcomed to the parade, and realizing he could be asked to leave and felt not wanted.
“Maybe I’ll take less because Ohio State’s a great place,” Knowles said, “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 on the outside world, but now it’s become something here, too. I hadn’t made any decisions, but you just kind of feel like — I wouldn’t say I’m not wanted here — but you just feel like, OK, now it’s gotten awkward.”
When it came time to execute, according to Franklin, the difference as to why Penn State was able to land Knowles was simple.
In years past, we wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Franklin said. “Pat (Kraft) and the president (Neeli Bendapudi), not lip service to say we’re trying to win at the highest level.”
Ohio State’s AD Ross Bjork and head coach Ryan Day declined to comment for ESPN’s story.
