Penn State hires Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, sources confirm

Penn State is poised to conclude its long-running search for a new head coach. According to sources, the Nittany Lions have finalized an agreement to hire Iowa States Matt Campbell. The contract is reported to span eight years, positioning Campbell among the highest-paid coaches in college football.

Campbells hiring follows Penn States decision to part ways with James Franklin in October, after the team suffered a three-game losing streak. Despite acting early in the coaching carousel, Penn State faced setbacks as other candidates, including BYUs Kalani Sitake and Louisvilles Jeff Brohm, declined opportunities to join the program.

Since joining Iowa State from Toledo in 2015, Campbell has transformed the Cyclones into a consistently competitive team. Over ten seasons, he amassed a 72-55 record with only two losing campaigns. Under his leadership, Iowa State achieved at least eight wins in five seasons and competed in the Big 12 Championship last year, narrowly missing a College Football Playoff berth.

Campbell previously led Toledo to a 35-15 record across five seasons. An Ohio native, he played at Division III powerhouse Mount Union and served as an assistant at Toledo and Bowling Green before taking the Rockets job. His tenure at Iowa State followed six consecutive losing seasons for the program, and he set a school record for wins with 16 more than former coach Dan McCarney.

At Penn State, Campbell will inherit a program that entered the 2025 season with high expectations, ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25. The team began 3-0 but faltered after an overtime loss to Oregon and subsequent defeats by UCLA and Northwestern, which ultimately led to Franklins dismissal. Interim coach Terry Smith guided the team to bowl eligibility after finishing the season with three wins following a 3-6 start.

Author: Aiden Foster