In his annual ranking of the Top 25 coaches in college football, longtime analyst Bruce Feldman released his latest list for The Athletic.
With James Franklin fired by Penn State in October before eventually landing at Virginia Tech and Penn State hiring Matt Campbell in December, Feldman’s verdict is now out and it’s good news for Penn State fans.
Feldman ranked Campbell No. 11 on his list, while Franklin came in at No. 14.
Feldman praised Campbell’s work at Iowa State, writing:
“Michigan wasn’t the only Big Ten program that backed into an excellent hire. Campbell worked wonders at Iowa State for a decade. It was one of the most underrated great jobs by any football coach over the past half-century. Consider this: Since the end of World War II, Iowa State has had only 15 seasons with a winning record in conference play. Campbell produced eight of them — and did that in the past nine years. ISU has had only two top-15 finishes, both under him. He’s a terrific evaluator and has done a masterful job of developing talent and fostering a winning culture at a place that had little margin for error. Last year, the Cyclones opened 5-0 before injuries ravaged their defense, but they still rallied to finish 8-4.”
Franklin received some leeway from Feldman for the disappointing 2025 season but was still criticized for the major letdown.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“Last year was a disaster for the Nittany Lions. They were coming off a 13-3 season in which they were a field goal away from playing in the national title game. Then, after a 3-0 start, Penn State lost in double overtime to Oregon and followed that up with a loss to a then-winless UCLA squad at the Rose Bowl. PSU returned home and lost to a mediocre Northwestern team, and Franklin — who had five top-10 finishes over the previous decade — was fired at 3-3. His biggest issue, of course, was that his teams struggled mightily to beat top teams. He went 4-21 against top-10 opponents while at Penn State. Overall, he was 104-45 at a Penn State program that was emerging from an ugly scandal and heavy NCAA sanctions. Before that, he led a struggling Vanderbilt program to two Top 25 finishes in three seasons.”
Neither Franklin or Campbell rose in the rankings, as Campbell dropped two spots from No. 9 in 2025 to No. 11 and Franklin dropped six sports from No. 8 to No. 14.
Feldman named Indiana coach Curt Cignetti as his top head coach in the country.
Matt Campbell will make his debut as Penn State’s head coach in the program’s annual Blue-White Game April 25 at Beaver Stadium.
