Penn State hires Iowa State's Matt Campbell as new head football coach

Penn State has hired Matt Campbell as its new head football coach. Campbell spent the past 10 years at Iowa State, where he transformed the Cyclones from a 3-9 team into one that made seven bowl appearances after four straight years without one.

Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who transferred from Iowa State, discussed Campbell's impact Wednesday. "He wants to build a player-led program," Becht told ESPN. "When you’re not all aligned with the same goals and expectations, you’re not going to win those big games. … Last year, it wasn’t really player-led and the culture just wasn’t always there."

"Right now, where we are, everyone is completely bought in."

Campbell replaces James Franklin, who coached Penn State for 12 years before his firing in the middle of the 2025 season. The team had lost three games in a row, including an upset to unranked UCLA while ranked seventh nationally.

Defensive coordinator Terry Smith took over for Franklin and led the Nittany Lions to a Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson to close the year.

With Campbell, Becht and an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, Penn State faces fewer excuses for missing the postseason. The Nittany Lions reached the playoff in 2024 but lost to Notre Dame in the semifinals, their only CFP appearance to date. The program's last national title came in 1986.