CFP or Bust: Why Matt Campbell, Roommate of Eagles Coach Sirianni, Can Make Penn State Elite

Okay I’m actually offended that Penn State didn’t contact me to gauge my interest in the Nittany Lions head coaching job that’s been posted on Indeed and ZipRecruiter for the last two months. If I weren’t so busy with my Christmas shopping, I probably would have gotten around to updating my resume and throwing my hat in the Happy Valley ring.

Oops, too late.

It looks like I missed my window.

Matt Campbell May have Been Perfect Candidate for Penn State

But, fortunately for Penn State, they screwed up enough during this search that they may have actually landed the best candidate available in Matt Campbell.

After athletic director Pat Kraft decided to move on from James Franklin back in mid-October, the search for his replacement led to multiple coaches receiving contract extensions at their current schools, spurning without malice, and Penn State left checking names off the list.

Yahoo Sports was the first to report that the school was closing in on Iowa State’s Matt Campbell on Friday.

The NFL Connection: Campbell and Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni

But fans in Happy Valley can now breathe a sigh of relief.

After all the drama and misfires, Penn State made a bold pivot and targeted Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, who has led the Cyclones to a 107–70 overall record as a head coach, including 72–55 during his time in Ames.

Although he doesn’t have direct ties to Pennsylvania, Campbell is no stranger to the region.

He played at Division III Mount Union in Ohio and was roommates with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, where they were roommates and teammates. They even coached together at Mount Union for one season.

Sirianni leads the World Champion Eagles, while Campbell has taken over the reins as head coach at Penn State, strengthening ties between the pro and college football worlds in Pennsylvania.

The Elite Résumé: Development That Outperformed Expectations

Campbell’s résumé supports why his name consistently surfaced for major jobs over the past decade.

He was the 2015 MAC Coach of the Year at Toledo, a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year at Iowa State (2017, 2018, 2020), produced Consensus All-American Breece Hall, and developed Brock Purdy, who twice led the Big 12 in passing before becoming an NFL star.

Campbell also led Iowa State to multiple bowl wins and the program’s only Big 12 title game appearance.

From Brock Purdy to Breece Hall: NFL Talent Without Blue-Chip Resources

Campbell heads to Penn State following a respected 10-year run with Iowa State.

Despite annually operating with far fewer resources than most Power Five programs, he guided the Cyclones through one of the best multi-year stretches in school history. His success came through development, identity, and discipline, qualities Penn State has struggled to sustain.

Comparing Campbell’s record directly to Penn State’s former coach ignores the massive resource gap between the two programs. Now Campbell will have access to support, NIL backing, and recruiting reach he never had in Ames.

 Trey Wallace’s Take: The Upside of a 50-Day Misfire

Former Penn State wide out Trey Wallace summed up the roller coaster on X:

“Well done, Penn State. A coaching search that lasted over 50 days, striking out on multiple candidates, and they end up with maybe their best choice in Matt Campbell.”

He followed it with:

“Just don’t screw this up, Penn State.”

Feelings Aside, Penn State should have targeted Campbell from the start.

So, while the national talking heads seem to love this choice for Penn State you can’t help but wonder why Campbell was Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft’s sixth choice.

For years, USC, the New York Jets, and others tried to lure him away from Iowa State. He led the Cyclones to their only Big 12 title game appearance in school history and built a consistent winner despite major resource disadvantages.

But there’s no time for Campbell to worry about his feelings.

He arrives in Happy Valley in the middle of a serious crisis.

Penn State signed only two high school recruits this week. The rest of the class decommitted after Franklin’s firing, and nearly half followed him to Virginia Tech.

It remains unclear how many current players will enter the transfer portal when it reopens.

Campbell will need to stabilize the roster quickly, attack the portal aggressively, and transition immediately to building the 2027 recruiting class. That’s not going to be an easy task.

Right now, the Nittany Lions rank deep in the hundreds in ranked recruiting classes.

The Big Question: Can “Do More with Less” Win the CFP with More?

Aside from the mess he bequeaths from a poorly thought out coaching search by Kraft, the question now is whether Matt Campbell can make Penn State elite. He’s not here to be a stabilizer.

That’s what Franklin was.

Campbell is here to win the College Football Playoff.

Nothing else, and while nothing is guaranteed, his track record shows he’s one of the few coaches capable of elevating a program beyond its ceiling.

He turned Iowa State into a legitimate contender in a league dominated by bluebloods, developed NFL talent at a school that rarely produced it, and built a disciplined identity that consistently outperformed expectations.

Now, he steps into a place with better facilities, better NIL backing, better recruiting territory, and far greater resources. If his development model and culture translate to a program with this kind of support, Penn State will finally have its best opportunity in years to climb even higher toward national relevance and compete in the 12-team playoff era.

This entire search was a mess.There’s no way around it.

But, after all the drama since firing Franklin, Penn State hired the coach who might just give them the most credible shot at rising into something bigger.

For the first time in more than 50 days, the future in Happy Valley genuinely looks brighter, and the climb toward the rarified air of college football may finally have a leader capable of making it happen.

3 Iowa State Players Matt Campbell Could Bring With Him to Penn State