UPDATE: Campbell and Penn State agreed on an 8-year contract Friday night. Once the deal is approved by the board of trustees, it will become official.
It took 54 days. It took enough twists and turns to make a rollercoaster jealous. But finally, mercifully, the white smoke has risen over Happy Valley. Penn State has its guy. Iowa State’s Matt Campbell is reportedly finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Nittany Lions, replacing James Franklin and ending a search that had fans checking their Twitter feeds more often than they checked their bank accounts.
This wasn’t exactly a straight line from A to B. After firing Franklin in mid-October, a move that felt inevitable after three straight losses, Athletic Director Pat Kraft went on a nationwide hunt that seemed to drag on forever. We saw flirtations with Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and a very public courtship of BYU’s Kalani Sitake, who ultimately decided his heart belonged in Provo.
For a minute there, it looked bleak. The delay was costly, decimating the recruiting class as only two players signed on Wednesday. You could practically feel the anxiety radiating off the message boards.
Will Matt Campbell Be a Good Fit?
The 46-year-old Massillon, Ohio, native is one of those coaches who just know how to build. Campbell took an Iowa State program that was essentially a doormat, going 8-28 before he arrived, and turned them into a legitimate Big 12 contender. He racked up a 50-40 conference record in Ames. If you know anything about Iowa State’s history, you know that’s not just impressive; it’s borderline miraculous.
He’s got that gritty, blue-collar vibe that fits Penn State like a well-worn glove. He’s a guy who won three Division III national championships as a player at Mount Union and cut his coaching teeth in the MAC. He doesn’t need the flashiest toys to win; he just needs players who want to work.
Final Thoughts
Of course, the pressure cooker he’s stepping into is a different beast entirely. In Ames, an 8-4 season gets you a statue. In State College, it gets you a warm seat. He’ll have access to resources and NIL money he could only dream of at Iowa State, but he’ll also have expectations that are sky-high from day one.
But for now, Nittany Lions fans can exhale. The agonizing wait is over. The Matt Campbell era is about to begin, and the hard work of rebuilding and winning back the trust of a weary fanbase starts right now.
