Penn State Hires Matt Campbell as New Football Coach After Lengthy Search

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — After an exhaustive 58-day search, Penn State‘s athletic director Pat Kraft announced the hiring of Matt Campbell as the university’s new head football coach. Campbell, who previously served as head coach at Iowa State, becomes the 17th head coach in Nittany Lions history.

Kraft expressed his relief and excitement during a press conference on December 5, 2025, where he shared insights into the long search process. Penn State was the last of the top-tier programs to fill their head coaching position, following the dismissal of James Franklin on October 12.

Campbell, 46, is the all-time wins leader at Iowa State, where he led the Cyclones to several historic seasons and proven consistency. His background is familiar to Penn State fans, as he often visited his grandparents in nearby Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, in his youth.

“We didn’t have a timeline, we needed to focus on getting the right person,” Kraft said. “I believe we found that in Matt.” He added that Campbell’s hiring was both exciting and sensible, fitting the university’s culture and heritage.

Following Franklin’s firing, Penn State’s football program saw a mass exodus of recruits, with many students decommitting before Campbell took the helm. As the dust settled, only one commitment remained from the 2026 recruiting class, highlighting the urgency of the coaching transition.

Recruit Ford, a four-star defensive end, expressed his determination to stick with the Nittany Lions despite the coaching uncertainty. “Dream school — I always wanted to play there,” he said.

The coaching search faced unique challenges as other top programs also made coaching changes, including Florida, which hired Billy Napier, and LSU, which parted ways with Brian Kelly. Competition for available candidates was fierce, resulting in heightened scrutiny of Penn State’s process.

Initially, two coaches, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, generated significant interest. However, both secured lucrative extensions at their respective universities, further complicating Penn State’s efforts. The recruitment of Campbell gained momentum after BYU’s Kalani Sitake signed a new contract, prompting Kraft to reach out to Campbell, who had long been a desirable candidate.

Reliable sources close to Campbell indicated his reluctance to leave Iowa State despite interest from prominent schools. Nevertheless, Kraft’s eagerness to connect with Campbell helped finalize the coaching deal, which reportedly includes an eight-year, $70.5 million contract.