Update (12:52 p.m.)—
Penn State football’s 53 days head coach search looks to be on the verge of ending with Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.
On3’s Pete Nakos reported early Friday afternoon that Penn State was “working to finalize a deal” to bring Campbell to Happy Valley.
Campbell, 46, leaves Iowa State where he is the program’s all time winningest coach surpassing Dan McCarney’s record in 2024.
During Campbell’s 10 seasons at Iowa State he compiled a record of 72-55, guided the Cyclones to two Big XII division championships in 2020 and 2024.
Campbell is responsible for five of the ten top winningest seasons in Iowa State history that included a program record 11 wins in 2024, and guiding the Cyclones to major bowl wins in the Fiesta Bowl (2020) and Pop Tarts Bowl (2024).
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Considered by many a coach that had done more with less at Iowa State, he is a three-time recipient of the Big XII Coach of the Year conference award winner.
Prior to Iowa State, Campbell got his start coaching as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green between 2003-2004.
Campbell returned to his alma mater and coordinated Larry Kehres offense at Mount Union guiding them to back-to-back Stagg Bowl victories (Division III national championship) with an offense that averaged 42.3 points per game.
After a two-year stint coaching Bowling Green’s offensive line, Campbell joined Tim Beckman at Toledo as a running game coordinator and offensive line coach.
Later Campbell coordinated the 2011 Toledo offense that was the No. 8 scoring offense in the country at 42.2 points per game.
Campbell succeeded Beckman after his departure to Illinois where he was the Rockets head coach from 2012 to 2015 compiling a 35-15 record.
Overall Campbell has a 107-70 record.
Stay with Nittany Sports Now’s continuing coverage of Penn State hiring Matt Campbell.
