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earn as much as $1.2 million in bonus
pay if the Nittany Lions were to win the
national championship.
While Franklin spearheaded the
search, he said Penn State's adminis-
tration deserves much of the credit for
persuading Knowles to choose the Nit-
tany Lions over their well-heeled com-
petitors.
"It takes support to get those things
done, so I'm very appreciative," Franklin
said. "When you're able to go out and
compete with who we competed with to
get arguably the best defensive coordi-
nator in college football, I'm very, very
appreciative of that.
"I know there's a ton of excitement
from our players, there's a ton of ex-
citement from the fans, there's a ton
of excitement from our supporters and
alumni and lettermen, and all those
things matter."
Emphasizing Defense
At Penn State, Knowles saw a com-
mitment to ensuring that he would have
the resources needed to be successful.
Franklin, he said, "has built a culture
here that has really emphasized defense.
He's been an offensive guy, so maybe
In Knowles' third and final season at Ohio State,
his defense held opponents to an FBS-low 12.9
points per game, helping the Buckeyes win the
national championship.
PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL
