Matt Campbell hired as Penn State's
coach, ending search for James Franklin's successor
[December 06, 2025]
By TRAVIS JOHNSON
Matt Campbell was hired as Penn State's coach on Friday night,
ending a two-month search by the Nittany Lions to find James
Franklin's successor.
The 46-year-old Campbell heads to Happy Valley after going 72-55 in
10 seasons at Iowa State to become the winningest coach in the
history of that program.
Terms of Campbell's contract were not released, pending approval by
a committee of the school's Board of Trustees. That committee is
scheduled to meet on Monday, after which Campbell will be
introduced.
“Coach Campbell is, without a doubt, the right leader at the right
time for Penn State football,” athletic director Pat Kraft said in a
statement. “He is a stellar coach with a proven track record of
success and his values, character and approach to leading
student-athletes to success on and off the field align perfectly
with the traditions and values of Penn State.”
Penn State advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals last
season and began this season ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, but
Franklin was fired on Oct. 12 after the Nittany Lions started 0-3 in
Big Ten play.
Before Campbell's arrival at Iowa State in 2016, the Cyclones had a
record of 489-622-45 with just three bowl wins in their 133-year
history. His 10-year tenure in Ames included eight winning seasons,
three bowl wins and the program’s only 11-win campaign last year,
when Iowa State reached the Big 12 championship game.
Iowa State went 8-4 this season and awaits a bowl bid. Washington
State coach Jimmy Rogers was named as Campbell's replacement on
Friday.
Campbell spent five years as Toledo's coach before joining the
Cyclones and is 107-70 overall. He signed a contract extension at
Iowa State in August worth $5 million per year until 2032, with a
buyout of $2 million.
An Ohio native, Campbell becomes Penn State’s 17th full-time coach.
He takes over a program that missed big during the early signing
period that began on Wednesday.
Penn State, the second Power Four program to fire its coach this
season, signed only two players toward its 2026 recruiting class
this week. The Nittany Lions have no commitments in the 2027 class.
Many of those who had previously committed to Penn State flipped to
Virginia Tech, where Franklin was hired last month. In addition to
last year's CFP run, Franklin won a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl
during his 11-plus seasons in Happy Valley.
Franklin, however, struggled to win big games, going 4-21 against
teams ranked in the top 10.
Now, current Nittany Lions players will have to decide whether to
stick around and play for Campbell, who’s done a lot with a little
in Ames while reportedly passing on other job offers, including
overtures from the NFL.
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Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell looks to the scoreboard during
the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas,
Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 38-14. (AP
Photo/Matthew Putney)
Numerous names were linked to the Penn State
opening, and some potential candidates signed extensions at their
current schools, including BYU’s Kalani Sitake.
Penn State went 3-3 this season under interim coach Terry Smith,
winning its final three games to finish 6-6 and become bowl
eligible.
As Kraft conducted his search without the aid of a search committee,
a large contingent of players campaigned for the blunt-talking Smith
to be named the permanent coach.
After the Nittany Lions’ win over Nebraska on Nov. 22, players held
up “HIRE TERRY SMITH!” signs on the sidelines. A handful flashed the
signs to Kraft, who walked off the field with an arm around Smith, a
Penn State alum who played for Joe Paterno and is a veteran of
Franklin’s staff.
Campbell already has one staff member in place. Kraft confirmed on
Friday that Smith is sticking with the program.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to coach Terry Smith for
stepping up when we needed him the most and for rallying our team to
finish this season with three straight wins,” Kraft said. “Coach
Smith bleeds blue and white and pours his entire heart and soul into
Penn State football. I’m deeply grateful for his commitment to our
university, and I am excited that he will continue to be a part of
this program.”
A fan base and athletic department accustomed to seeing the same
coach roaming the Penn State sideline for 46 years as Paterno did
has never gone this long without a gridiron leader.
The search to find Paterno’s permanent successor during the most
tumultuous season in program history took 40 days in 2011. Paterno
was fired on Nov. 9 of that year, shortly after the arrest of his
longtime assistant Jerry Sandusky on child sexual abuse charges.
Then-acting athletic director Dave Joyner announced a six-person
search committee on Nov. 28, and the program introduced Bill O’Brien
on Jan. 7.
Two years later, O’Brien informed Penn State that he was taking the
Houston Texans job, and Penn State introduced Franklin nine days
later.
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