Matt Campbell is Penn State football’s next coach, ending what’s been a wild near two months.
Jon Sauber of the Centre Daily Times first confirmed the news Friday night, and Penn State later further confirmed it with a statement from athletic director Pat Kraft.
A lot of people said a lot of things about Kraft over these 54 days, but now, he has his guy.
KRAFT’S STATEMENT
“I’m thrilled to share with the Penn State community that we have reached an agreement with Matt Campbell to have him serve as the 17th head football coach at Penn State,” the statement read. “We look forward to officially welcoming Coach Campbell and his family to Penn State on Monday pending the approval of terms by the Board of Trustees’ Equity and Human Resources Committee consistent with the bylaws, which require advance notice of meetings.
“Coach Campbell is, without a doubt, the right leader at the right time for Penn State Football. 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.
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. 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.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.As we start this exciting next chapter for our football program with Coach Campbell at the helm, the future is bright. We will continue to build upon and elevate the high standard that is the hallmark of our program.”
KRAFT’S LEGACY
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
If this hire doesn’t work out, it could mark the end of Kraft’s tenure at Penn State.
Campbell is a winner— a guy who can make Iowa State a consistent contender is doing something right. It remains to be seen how well that will translate to Penn State.
But the better it works out for Campbell, the better it will for Kraft.
