New HC Matt Campbell’s arrival at Penn State has cast a cloud of uncertainty over defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. A new era in Happy Valley means longtime Cyclones defensive coordinator Jon Heacock has followed Campbell. Can the two DCs stay together? According to insider Zach Seyko, there might be a solution.

Instead of letting Jim Knowles go, the same coach who ran Ohio State’s national-title defense last season, Seyko recommends keeping him on staff and expanding the defensive room around him.

“Penn State could actually benefit from having both of them on staff. Jim Knowles could, and I think should be retained,” Seyko said on the December 8th episode of Locked on Nittany Lions. “Okay. Well, why would John Heacock join Penn State and take a demotion? Well, Heacock was actually entertaining retirement. He was expected to retire after the season.

So, it is not a bad move and actually might be in Penn State’s best interest to keep Jim Knowles on as the defensive coordinator, and also just bring another intelligent mind onto the staff with John Hancock. So, if you get a defensive staff that can game plan weekly and help Jim Knowles make this defense that much better, then you can get the best of both worlds.”

At 65, Jon Heacock has flirted with retirement multiple times, stepping down as Youngstown State’s head coach in 2009 and mentioning retirement again around 2012. But those breaks never turned into anything long-term. Instead, he returned to coaching and became a force at Iowa State. Heacock served as Matt Campbell’s defensive coordinator for the past nine years. He is the architect of Iowa State’s signature 3-3-5 defense, which consistently placed his units in the top 50 nationally and even pushed them into the top 10 territory in key categories during seasons like 2021 and 2022.

He also developed NFL talent such as Will McDonald IV and Anthony Johnson Jr., despite working outside a traditional recruiting hotbed. His defensive success helped fuel Iowa State’s first New Year’s Six bowl appearance and highest national rankings in program history, earning him multiple Broyles Award nominations. Still, after so many years as DC, fans and reporters often wondered if retirement might finally be on the horizon.

That’s what scares Seyko. “But Heacock could be here today, gone tomorrow. And what is his role going to be?” For now, reports indicate that the 64-year-old’s role is still undecided. So, for now, Jim Knowles still should be part of the Nittany Lions. After all, he signed a three-year deal averaging $3.1 million annually in base salary, making him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football.

Sure, Jim Knowles didn’t deliver the debut season with the Nittany Lions that everyone expected. But come on, this is the same guy who helped Ohio State win a Natty last season. So if Matt Campbell gives him a little more time with the current roster, he might change the course of direction. The issue was Jim Knowles’ complex 4-2-5 scheme, as players widely described it as “very complicated,” and took some time to understand it.

Guys were often thinking instead of playing fast, unlike in past years. Early losses to UCLA and Iowa exposed the run defense, and the team also dealt with Knowles being hired late. He got almost no time to recruit players who actually fit his system. He had to force the current roster to fit a scheme it wasn’t built for. But if Heacock and Knowles worked together, the defense might look even more polished with two great defensive minds in business. That’s exactly what Seyko wants Campbell to build.

Who’s boarding the Happy Valley express along with Matt Campbell? 

The flight from Ames didn’t just take off with Matt Campbell and Jon Heacock on board. Within days of Campbell’s Friday announcement, reports confirmed that three key Iowa State figures were entering Happy Valley, including Heacock. Ryan Clanton, the run game coordinator, will also join Campbell. In his third Iowa State year as run game coordinator and O-line coach, he had engineered a record-setting 2024 rush attack. Stat line shouts: 25 touchdowns, 11-3 record, Big 12 title game berth.

His offence also allowed the Cyclones to go from 108.0 rushing yards per game to 160.5 yards in 2024. For the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the team allowed just 30 sacks in 27 games, inside the nation’s top-15 in that time. They produced Jalen Travis, Iowa State’s first drafted O-lineman since 2013. Clanton now has to work sincerely with Penn State’s existing running stars like Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Lastly, associate AD for football personnel Derek Hoodjer also boarded that plane. No one shaped Iowa State’s modern rise like Derek Hoodjer.

The man was Campbell’s de facto GM since 2011, mastering navigating NIL and recruiting amid 72 wins, eight bowls, and 15 NFL picks like Brock Purdy. Hoodjer joins on a four-year Penn State deal. So, it’s safe to say that Matt Campbell has already started his work at Happy Valley. And soon he will have to find a solution to the Heacock-Knowles issue.

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