Penn State has hired Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell as its next football coach, the university announced Friday. The reported eight-year contract will go before the board of trustees’ compensation committee for final approval Monday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Penn State athletics director Patrick Kraft praised Campbell as the right leader for the program, citing his track record of success, character and fit with Penn State’s traditions.
Campbell, 46, met with Penn State officials Thursday night and finalized terms Friday. Iowa State promptly moved to replace him, hiring Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers.
Campbell spent 10 seasons at Iowa State and leaves as the winningest coach in program history. He compiled a 72-55 record there, earned three Big 12 Coach of the Year honors, produced eight winning seasons, led the Cyclones to two Big 12 championship-game appearances and coached the team to a Fiesta Bowl victory over Oregon in 2020 that resulted in Iowa State’s first top-10 finish. His earlier head-coaching tenure at Toledo ran from 2011-15, where he went 35-15.
Under Campbell’s leadership, Iowa State posted the program’s first 10-win season and notched 14 wins over AP Top 25 opponents. The Cyclones were 8-4 this season after starting 5-0 and went 11-3 in 2024, finishing No. 15 following a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Miami. Had Iowa State defeated Arizona State in the Big 12 title game, the team would have advanced to the College Football Playoff.
Campbell has also developed a number of NFL draft picks—15 over the past seven years—including Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, David Montgomery and Will McDonald IV, who became Iowa State’s first first-round pick since 1973. A native of Massillon, Ohio, Campbell began his college playing career at Pitt before winning three Division III national championships at Mount Union.
Throughout his time in Ames, Campbell was frequently linked to other high-profile openings in college football and the NFL, but he largely remained to build Iowa State’s program. He had been earning roughly $5 million per year after signing an extension through 2032 earlier this year.
Penn State’s coaching search accelerated after the school fired longtime coach James Franklin on Oct. 12 following a three-game losing streak to open Big Ten play that left the Nittany Lions 3-3. Franklin later accepted a five-year deal at Virginia Tech on Nov. 17 and reached a $9 million settlement with Penn State on the $49 million buyout he was originally owed.
Former interim coach Terry Smith, a Penn State alum who led the team to three consecutive Big Ten wins to finish 6-6 and become bowl-eligible, is expected to remain on staff. Sources told Thamel Smith agreed to a four-year deal to work under Campbell.
Penn State enters the 2025 season with high expectations—ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25 and viewed as a national title contender after reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. Campbell’s hire is aimed at sustaining that level of competitiveness and guiding the program forward.
