The Penn State Nittany Lions are reportedly set to hire former Iowa State Cyclones' coach Matt Campbell to become next head coach in 2026.
The Penn State Nittany Lions’ quest for a new head coach has finally ended on Friday afternoon.
According to college football insider Pete Nakos, Penn State is finalizing a deal for former Iowa State Cyclones’ coach Matt Campbell to become the next head coach of the program.
Campbell, who has spent the last 10 seasons with the Cyclones, has done an incredible job of reshaping the program. Throughout his tenure with Iowa State, the 46-year-old finished with a 72-55 record, along with eight seasons with a .500 or better record.
His most notable achievements, however, came at the back end of his time with the school, as Campbell led the Cyclones to a first-place spot in the Big 12 Conference during the 2020 season.
He would eventually reach this mark once again in 2024, but was unable to defeat the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Conference Championship Game to make his first College Football Playoff appearance last year.
With Penn State set to name Campbell the next head coach, this also ends interim head coach Terry Smith’s chances of being promoted after the team’s bowl game. Smith made a hard push for the job, and despite having the backing of the players, he was unable to secure the position.
One of the main keys for the newly-hired head coach is trying to revamp the Nittany Lions’ disastrous 2026 recruiting class.
The early National Signing Day period for Penn State fans was one of the worst showings from the school, as they currently the No. 155-ranked program in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports’ Composite. This includes two four-star commits in EDGE Jackson Ford and quarterback Peyton Falzone.
In order to rebuild the Nittany Lions prior to the 2026 college football season, it’s clear that Campbell must utilize the transfer portal this offseason to acquire top-tier talent.
Throughout his time with the Cyclones, Campbell did an excellent job of identifying talent, but struggled to keep recruits in-house due to the program not having enough resources. Now, Campbell joins a Penn State program that has a load of backing from boosters, giving him a better opportunity to secure elite recruits.