Iowa State’s Mattโ Campbell โEmerges as Leading Candidate for Penn State Head โCoachingโฃ Position
STATE COLLEGE, PA โ- โขDecember โค5, โ2025 -โ Iowa โฃstate head football coach โฃMatt Campbell has rapidly โascended to the top ofโ Penn State’s list of candidates to replace recentlyโ departed coach James Franklin,โฃ sources โฃwith direct knowledge of โthe search โconfirmed late Thursday. Discussions between representatives โfor Pennโ State and Campbell are ongoing, though no offer has โbeen formallyโ extended as of 11:55 PM EST.
The pursuit of โCampbellโ marks a significant shift in โคPenn State’s coaching search, signaling a preferenceโ for โa proven program builder with a demonstrated ability to cultivate โtalent and achieve โconsistent success within a Power Five โconference. Franklin’s departure on โฃNovember 28th created aโ vacancy at โขone of โcollege football’s most prestigious programs, prompting anโข extensive โคnational search to identify a leader capable of maintaining โtheโ Nittany โLions’ โcompetitive โstanding โขin the Big Ten and beyond.โ
Campbell, 45, has revitalized theโ Iowa State program during โขhis eight seasons in Ames, leading the Cyclones โto a program-record โfour โconsecutive bowl appearances โand a โBig 12 Championship Game berth inโ 2020. โคHis emphasis on โขplayer development, strong recruiting ties in the Midwest, and commitment to a cohesiveโฃ team culture have garnered widespread respect within coaching circles. Penn State officialsโข reportedlyโค view Campbell as possessing the qualities necessary to โnavigate the evolving landscape of college football, including the transfer portal and name, image, andโฃ likeness (NIL) initiatives.
prior to Iowa State, Campbell spent four seasons as head coach at Toledo, where he compiled a 35-17โค record and two MAC Championship titles. He โbegan his coaching career as a graduate โฃassistant atโ Miami (OH) in 2003, followed by assistant roles at โคBowling Green, Mount Union, and Ohioโข State. Penn State’s โathletic director, Patrick Kraft, is leading โthe search and is โขexpected to move swiftly to finalize a deal with Campbell ifโข negotiations prove successful. The timeline for a potential proclamation remains fluid, but sources indicateโฃ Penn State aims to โhave โคa new head coach in place before the start of the early signing periodโค on December 18th.
