Things were getting ugly for Penn State football in its search for its next head coach. After getting numerous declines from the Nittany Lions’ top candidates, it appears they have their guy.
According to a report from On3, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell is finalizing a deal with PSU to become the next head coach in Happy Valley. Campbell has been a name in plenty of coaching searches throughout the last half-decade-plus and is finally departing from the Cyclones.
Campbell began at Iowa State in 2016. Things were rocky in year one, but he quickly turned it around to become a consistent bowl-eligible team. In 2020, he amassed a 9-3 (8-1 Big 12) record while winning the Fiesta Bowl and being ranked inside the Top 10 of the AP Poll.
He topped that best year in 2024, going 11-3 (7-2 Big 12) with a Pop-Tarts Bowl win, just narrowly missing out on the playoffs. This past 2025 season, he finished 8-4 (5-4 Big 12).
BREAKING: Penn State is working to finalize a deal to hire Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, @PeteNakos reports🦁https://t.co/3Vkm7MCpwx pic.twitter.com/8LGM9en5gs
— On3 (@On3sports) December 5, 2025
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Penn State let go of former head coach James Franklin for not reaching its high expectations. He went 11-2, 10-3 and 13-3 in the 2022-24 seasons, but a 3-3 start in 2025 was the final straw in Happy Valley.
Now at Virginia Tech, Franklin has stolen a number of recruits from his former school, with them now officially signed. PSU not reaching a deal with a coach prior to the start of the early signing period proved to be a crucial blow, as well, with just two recruits signing.
However, the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2, 2026. This not only means Campbell can snag players from across the country or his old school to join him at Penn State, but high school signees can also enter the portal and look for a new home. Iowa State finished with the No. 50 class in the country via 247 Composite with 22 signings. They did not sign any recruit higher than a three-star rating on 247.
