It seems that Penn State’s hunt for a new leader is drawing to a close.
Sources informed Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports on Friday evening that the Nittany Lions have come to an understanding to bring in Iowa State’s Matt Campbell as their new head coach. According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, the agreement is for eight years.
Campbell’s appointment arises after Penn State was among the initial power conference institutions to initiate a coaching change during the 2025 season, dismissing James Franklin in October after a series of three defeats.
That early start in the coaching shuffle didn’t appear to be very helpful. While six institutions nationally brought in new leaders within hours of the 2025 regular season concluding, Penn State’s pursuit persisted. BYU’s Kalani Sitake turned down the Nittany Lions to remain with the Cougars before Saturday’s Big 12 title contest, and Louisville’s Jeff Brohm also reportedly declined approaches from Penn State.
Since his arrival from Toledo after the 2015 season, Campbell has transformed Iowa State into a consistently successful program. Over his 10 seasons in charge, the Cyclones hold a 72-55 record, with only two seasons ending in losses. Under Campbell’s guidance, Iowa State has secured at least eight victories on five occasions and reached the Big 12 championship game a year prior, before falling to Arizona State with a spot in the College Football Playoff at stake.
Toledo achieved a 35-15 record during Campbell’s five seasons leading the team. A native of Ohio, he served as an assistant for both Toledo and Bowling Green before assuming the Rockets’ head coaching role, and he participated in college football at Division III powerhouse Mount Union.
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Prior to Campbell’s arrival, Iowa State experienced six consecutive losing seasons, and their five-year bowl streak from 2017 to 2021 marks the longest in the school’s history. Campbell stands as Iowa State’s most triumphant coach by a considerable margin, boasting 16 more wins than Dan McCarney’s 56, although McCarney’s teams suffered 85 losses throughout his 12-year tenure. McCarney and Clay Stapleton (42-53) represent the only other two Iowa State coaches to remain with the program for at least 10 seasons.
Campbell is poised to take charge of a Penn State program that entered the 2025 season with substantial expectations. The Nittany Lions held the No. 2 position in the preseason AP Top 25 and commenced with a 3-0 record before an overtime loss to Oregon initiated a decline. Subsequently, Penn State suffered defeats to UCLA on the road and then at home against Northwestern. The loss to the Wildcats marked the conclusion of Franklin’s time with the program.
Penn State endured three more defeats, dropping to 3-6 under interim coach Terry Smith before securing victories in their final three contests to attain bowl eligibility. Smith, a former Penn State receiver, has served as a coach at the institution for over a decade. He held the position of associate head coach and cornerbacks coach for more than four seasons before stepping in as the interim coach.
