Spin-crossover (SCO) was studied in [Co(L) 2 ](CF 3 SO 3) 2 , where L stands for diamagnetic 2,2 :6 ,2-terpyridine (tpy) and its paramagnetic derivative, 4-{4-tert-butyl(N-oxy)aminophenyl}-substituted tpy (tpyphNO). The X-ray crystallographic analysis clarified the CoN bond length change (∆d) in high-and low-temperature structures; ∆d central = 0.12 and ∆d distal = 0.05 Å between 90 and 400 K for L = tpy and ∆d central = 0.11 and ∆d distal = 0.06 Å between 90 and 300 K for L = tpyphNO. The low-and high-temperature structures can be assigned to approximate low-and high-spin states, respectively. The magnetic susceptibility measurements revealed that the χ m T value of [Co(tpyphNO) 2 ](CF 3 SO 3) 2 had a bias from that of [Co(tpy) 2 ](CF 3 SO 3) 2 by the contribution of the two radical spins. The tpy compound showed a gradual SCO around 260 K and on cooling the χ m T value displayed a plateau down to 2 K. On the other hand, the tpyphNO compound showed a relatively abrupt SCO at ca. 140 K together with a second decrease of the χ m T value on further cooling below ca. 20 K. From the second decrease, Co-nitroxide exchange coupling was characterized as antiferromagnetic with 2J Co-rad /k B = −3.00(6) K in the spin-Hamiltonian H = −2J Co-rad (S Co •S rad1 + S Co •S rad2). The magnetic moment apparently switches double-stepwise as 1 µ B 3 µ B 5 µ B by temperature stimulus.