By Adeniyi Precious 
Oklahoma Sooners are in a fierce competition for their next defensive coordinator. According to FootballScoop, top football programs like Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma are all vying for Jim Knowles, the 59-year-old defensive coordinator from Ohio State.
OU’s been after Knowles since Zac Alley left for West Virginia, and many thought it was a done deal, especially since reports and Knowles’ silence kept the rumors alive. But a lot has changed recently. After Ohio State’s national championship win over Notre Dame, other teams, like Notre Dame (after losing their defensive coordinator to the Bengals) and Penn State (after Tom Allen left), also jumped into the race.
What makes Knowles such a hot commodity? All these schools are offering huge deals, and even though Ohio State probably wants to keep him, OU is ready to pay up to $3 million a year. Penn State even bumped their offer to $3.2 million. Knowles made $2.2 million last year at Ohio State, and his contract buyout is around $1.2 million if he leaves.
Despite the money, OU does have an edge—Knowles’ fiancée is from Oklahoma, and he spent four years as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator. So, while the other schools are throwing big money at him, the personal connection could tip the scales for OU.