Penn State to hire Iowa State’s Matt Campbell as next head coach: reports

Nearly two months after firing James Franklin, Penn State is nearing the finish line with a new head coach.

The Nittany Lions are reportedly hiring Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell to replace Franklin. Campbell and Penn State are working on a deal and getting formal approval for compensation, according to ESPN.

The 46-year-old is the winningest coach in Iowa State history. The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year was 72-55 in 10 seasons with the Cyclones, with eight winning seasons, including this one at 8-4.

Campbell helped lead Iowa State to two Big 12 championship game appearances.

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Prior to coaching at Iowa State, Campbell was the head coach at Toledo for five seasons, where he went 35-15.

Penn State fired Franklin after three straight losses. The Nittany Lions’ three-game losing streak began with a 30-24 overtime loss to Oregon at home, and the team never recovered.

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The team’s second loss came on the road, when they lost 42-37 to UCLA, which entered the game at 0-4. The third loss came in a 22-21 loss to Northwestern at home, dropping Penn State to 3-3. Franklin was fired a day later.

Franklin had great success at Penn State during the regular season, going 104-45, but was never able to win a national championship. Franklin won the Rose Bowl in 2022, the Cotton Bowl in 2019 and the Fiesta Bowl in 2017.

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Since Franklin’s three seasons at Vanderbilt, the veteran coach is 8-7 in bowl games.

Penn State named Terry Smith its interim head coach, and the 56-year-old has gone 3-3 in his six games at the helm. Penn State is 6-6 this season and will look to turn things around in Campbell’s first season.

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