The Penn State coaching search – finally – is drawing to a close.
According to multiple reports, Penn State is nearing an agreement to hire Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, expected to sign him to an eight-year contract. This comes almost two months after longtime James Franklin was fired, hired by Virginia Tech and flipped several Penn State commits to Virginia Tech when the Early Signing Day period opened Wednesday.
It's been a PR mess of sorts for the Nittany Lions, who did not land several of the candidates that were on the initial list when Franklin was fired. Indiana's Curt Cignetti, Nebraska's Matt Rhule, Louisville's Jeff Brohm and Texas A&M's Mike Elko were among the rumored candidates who signed extensions instead of leaving for Happy Valley.
Campbell, however, was on that list. He's landed on several coaching candidate lists over the years when a Power 4 opening comes up, including Ohio State in 2018 and Michigan in 2023. Now, he lands at Penn State.
While the short term is a mess that needs cleaned up – the long-term with Campbell should be good for Penn State.
Did James Franklin firing backfire on Penn State?
Franklin was fired on Oct. 12 – two weeks after No. 6 Oregon beat No. 3 Penn State 30-24 in double overtime at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions let one loss turn into three after shocking upsets against UCLA and Northwestern, and that was enough for Penn State athletic director Patrick Kraft to make the move.
Franklin had a 104-45 record – a.698 winning percentage – at Penn State. He won 10 or more games six times with the Nittany Lions. Penn State played in the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024. At minimum, it was an emotional decision.
Was it too hasty? Maybe, but the constant talk about Franklin's record against top-10 teams – a 4-21 record that got far-more publicity than those 10-win seasons – continued to fester. It might have time for a change – and in the new world order of college football that is being done during the regular season.
The short-term embarrassment is just that. Short term. Franklin will do well with the Hokies. He proved that by reeling in a top-25 class with the help of 11 commitments that flipped from Penn State to Virginia Tech. There is a good chance that the Hokies re-emerge as a constant factor in the ACC championship race under Franklin.
That's still not the Big Ten. Interim coach Terry Smith got the Nittany Lions to a bowl game. Penn State had just two commits on the Early Signing Period, and there will be much to sort out. Campbell isn't a flashy hire – but that doesn't mean he can't be the right hire.
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Grading Matt Campbell's hire
Campbell had a 72-55 record at Iowa State from 2016-25, which might seem like a big deal until you look at the program's past. Campbell led eight winning seasons in that 10-year period. Iowa State had eight winning seasons from 1977-2015. Campbell is the school's all-time leader in wins. He led the program to a pair of Big 12 championship games in the last five seasons.
Campbell is a culture builder who can flare up on the sidelines, and he comes from the Mount Union coaching tree that has produced Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and Toledo coach Jason Candle, among others. Given the number of candidates that did not take the Penn State job, this has to be considered a win to land a coach with Campbell's experience and credentials.
The top-10 question is going to pop up with Campbell, too. Here is a look at Campbell's record against top-10 opponents at Iowa State.
Matt Campbell vs. Top-10 opponents at Iowa State
| DATE | TEAM | RESULT | RECORD |
| Oct. 7 2017 | at No. 3 Oklahoma | W 38-31 | 1-0 |
| Oct. 28, 2017 | vs. No. 4 TCU | W 14-7 | 2-0 |
| Sept. 15, 2018 | vs. No. 5 Oklahoma | L 37-27 | 2-1 |
| Oct. 13, 2018 | vs. No. 6 West Virginia | W 30-14 | 3-1 |
| Nov. 9, 2019 | at No. 9 Oklahoma | L 42-41 | 3-2 |
| Oct. 24, 2020 | at No. 6 Oklahoma State | L 24-21 | 3-3 |
| Sept. 11, 2021 | vs. No. 10 Iowa | W 27-17 | 4-3 |
| Nov. 26, 2022 | at No. 4 TCU | L 62-14 | 4-4 |
| Nov. 18, 2023 | vs. No. 7 Texas | L 26-16 | 4-5 |
That's a 4-5 record with only one blowout loss. Campbell's teams competed with Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12, and that will be the expectation moving to the Big Ten against Ohio State and Michigan – schools whose fan-bases have kept tabs on Campbell since he was at Toledo – where he compiled a 35-15 record.
Iowa State has put four players in the NFL Draft twice in the last five seasons. While that might not seem like a huge deal, the last time that happened before his arrival was 1977.
The circumstances that led to Campbell's hiring are what they are – but the point is Penn State landed a long-term coach that should offer stability in the Big Ten.
Grade: A-
Will Matt Campbell do better than James Franklin at Penn State?
That's not going to be easy. Franklin pulled Penn State out of an era of NCAA sanctions, led the program to its last Big Ten championship in 2016 and made Penn State the third wheel in the Big Ten pecking order. There are more wheels now with Oregon, USC and Washington on top of their game – which was in full view on the Early Signing Day period – so Campbell will have a challenge.
It comes down to a question. Campbell proved at Ohio State he could do more with less resources. How will he fare at a top-tier FBS job for a program burning to win their first national championship since 1986? Will Campbell solidify a recruiting class that was gutted by the combination of Franklin's firing and flipping? The Nittany Lions face Michigan, USC and Washington next season – so that challenge will be immediate. He also will be propped up against Franklin at Virginia Tech for the foreseeable future.
All things considered, however, Penn State landed a solid coach with upside. It's already been a hell of a lot worse the last two months. With Campbell, things can only get better.
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