Marking the beginning of a new era of Penn State football, former Iowa State Head Coach Matt Campbell was hired on Dec. 8 to succeed James Franklin as Penn State’s head coach. Here’s why Campbell’s hiring was the best move possible for the program:
Campbell’s head coaching career has not been short of success, starting in 2011 at Toledo. He began there as the youngest coach in college football, leading the Rockets to back-to-back conference championship games. In 2015, he was hired at Iowa State, and now leaves as the Cyclones’ winningest head coach of all time, having held the position for only a decade.
Campbell led ISU to their only two Big 12 Championship titles in 2020 and 2024, and in those two seasons, broke the single-season records for both conference wins and overall wins.
These feats are awe-inspiring, given the limited resources Iowa State had allocated to the football program. Iowa State is in the lowest tier in the Big 12 in terms of money towards NIL opportunities, so they were at a significant disadvantage in recruiting compared to their competition, yet remained successful largely due to Campbell’s efforts.
Sophomore Dillon Lieb praised Campbell’s performance as the Cyclones’ head coach.
“He was able to get a great coaching staff together and really develop his players, even if they weren’t the most talented, he took a lot of 3-star [recruits] and turned them into stars,” Lieb said.
Campbell will take over a team that Interim Head Coach Terry Smith led after Franklin was fired midseason. Following an abysmal 3-3 start to the season, Smith coached a competent team to be bowl-eligible, including a four-game winning streak to close the season.
Penn State fans pushed hard for Smith to receive the head coach job, but once Campbell was hired, their focus quickly shifted to retaining him on the staff. Campbell could have easily brought the Iowa State cornerbacks coach along with him to Happy Valley, but chose to offer Smith the opportunity to stay in the position. Since then, Smith has been extremely complimentary of Campbell’s character and coaching prowess.
With Franklin leaving, along with the majority of staff members, a large group of transfers away from Penn State was expected. Many have entered the portal, but Smith’s retention was the deciding factor for some key players to return to the team. A few of these players are tight end Andrew Rappleyea, linebacker Tony Rojas, offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh, and wide receiver Koby Howard, among others.
Along with the returners, Campbell has brought the Nittany Lions more than 30 players from Iowa State, whether they played for the team last season or were committed to the Cyclones for the 2026-27 season. Many of these transfers have the potential to be game-changers for Penn State.
Former Cyclone starting quarterback Rocco Becht comes to Penn State as a top 25 player in the portal, tight end Benjamin Brahmer was one of the best in the nation last year, and defensive back Jeremiah Cooper was a highly touted recruit poised to make an exciting return next season following a torn ACL.
“I’m most excited about Jeremiah Cooper, the cornerback,” Lieb said. “He made an All-Big 12 First Team in his sophomore year, then got injured, so I’m curious to see how he’s able to bounce back. He’s got a lot of talent, and I’m really looking forward to watching him play.”
Campbell received high praise from former colleagues, players, and acquaintances, and he is widely recognized as a genuine, great person and coach.
Former Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel, who is now playing for the Houston Texans of the NFL, had all good things to say about Campbell.
“He’s my favorite coach of all-time,” Noel told Penn Live. “He’s a special person. His integrity and the way he leads is super special. It’s something that will be great for Penn State. Very excited for him.”
Campbell embodies the values that have defined Penn State for decades: integrity, excellence, strength of character, and commitment, and he is the type of person that a fan would want leading their team. I believe that his hiring will prove to be a fantastic move for the football program, and fans will see that as soon as the team steps on the field in August.
