Matt Campbell did not shy away from high expectations and a "championship mindset" in his introductory press conference as Penn State Football head coach (image via Mark Selders | Penn State Athletics)
57 days after Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft’s initial press conference announcing Penn State Football’s “national search” for a new head coach following James Franklin’s firing, Matt Campbell was announced as Penn State’s 17th head football coach.
On Monday afternoon, Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi, Kraft, and Campbell all participated in the introductory press conference welcoming Matt Campbell as the Nittany Lions‘ next head coach.
Key Takeaways: Matt Campbell’s Introductory Press Conference
Campbell got emotional talking about the move to Penn State
Matt Campbell began his opening statement by getting emotional about the move to Penn State after a decade at Iowa State.
As noted by many in the media during Penn State’s coaching search, Campbell’s name has been brought up yearly when top jobs open around college football and the NFL, but Campbell has not entertained leaving Ames in the past.
Campbell mentioned that if he was ever going to leave, “it better be about family.”
Campbell notes that Penn State is far closer to his family in Ohio, and it was a “family decision” with his wife and kids to take the Penn State job.
Campbell also got emotional in thanking Iowa State, Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard, and the Iowa State players. He called the Friday night team meeting, letting the team know he was leaving, “one of the hardest moments” of his life.
Terry Smith’s Future: “An Absolute No Brainer”
Both Pat Kraft and Matt Campbell were asked about Terry Smith during the introductory press conference.
Kraft noted that, “Terry Smith is Penn State,” and further noted that the decision to keep Terry Smith on the staff at Penn State was “an absolute no brainer” on Penn State’s part.
Matt Campbell also noted his respect for Terry Smith that went back to Smith’s time as the head coach at Gateway High School, where Campbell recruited during his time at Toledo.
Campbell stated, “it was critically important for me to keep Terry” on his staff at Penn State and noted it was one of the first questions he asked Pat Kraft during discussions about the job.
Campbell noted that he wants to build a staff around the same character values as what he is and what he wants his team to be and Terry Smith fits that perfectly.
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Campbell’s Championship Mindset, Following Cael Sanderson’s Standard
When Pat Kraft initially met with the media to begin Penn State’s coaching search in October, he mentioned that Penn State was looking for a coach who could lead the Nittany Lions to win national championships.
In introducing Campbell Monday, Kraft noted that “Penn State got the guy.” Kraft continued that Campbell is “built for championships.”
In his introductory press conference Monday, Campbell did not shy away from this lofty expectation.
Campbell noted he is at Penn State to “restore a championship mindset.” He added that he will “demand” the same standard of excellence that another former Iowa State turned Penn State coach, Cael Sanderson, has for his wrestling program (that has won 12 of the last 14 national championships).
In discussing putting his staff together at Penn State, Campbell noted that he wants to take a few days to build a “championship staff” with coaches from Iowa State, Penn State, and other outsiders.
When discussing his plans for recruiting and the transfer portal, Campbell also mentioned that he wants “people who want to be here at Penn State and want to win championships at Penn State.”
In his prepared remarks, Campbell noted that Penn State “is a blue blood, no question” that is built on “toughness and character.” After waiting a decade to make a move from Iowa State, Campbell will have more resources at his disposal than he ever has in his career.
While the Nittany Lions still have one more game to go this season, the Matt Campbell era is officially beginning at Penn State, and fans will certainly be excited to see what Campbell can build in the coming years.
‘His Culture? Tough’: In-State Recruits React to Matt Campbell’s Hire at Penn State [EXCLUSIVE]
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