Penn State coach Matt Campbell was one of the late movers in the coaching carousel that gripped college football last season, taking the Nittany Lions’ job nearly two months after they had fired coach James Franklin. Campbell hit the ground running in Happy Valley, bringing in 40 players via the transfer portal to rejuvenate his roster ahead of a pivotal first season.
Including quarterback Rocco Becht, Campbell brought in 24 players from the Iowa State Cyclones to give his Penn State roster continuity next season.
David Ubben Outlines High Expectations for Matt Campbell at Penn State
During Monday’s segment of the “Bunch Formation” podcast, analyst David Ubben discussed the enormous expectations facing Campbell in his first season at the helm of the Nittany Lions.
“Lots of moving parts,” Ubben said. “The issue is, there might be high expectations here than anywhere we’ve seen. So, if you go 9-3 at Penn State this year, are they gonna be okay with that? I don’t remember a situation where the coach brought over a bunch of players and it went really poorly.
“I also don’t remember a situation where the expectations are gonna be as high as they are at Penn State. So, Godspeed to Matt Campbell.”
A year ago, Franklin led the Nittany Lions to the verge of winning the Big Ten, and his Penn State team lost a nail-biting Orange Bowl 27-24 to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, falling just short of reaching the national championship game.
The expectations surrounding the Nittany Lions started during the preseason when they were the No. 2-ranked team in the country before falling apart after a 3-3 start, leading to Franklin’s dismissal. In his 12-year tenure at Penn State, Franklin managed a 104-45 record, including a 6-6 bowl record.
The major criticism leveled at Franklin was the Nittany Lions’ struggle to beat AP Top 10 opposition, finishing with a woeful 4-21 record, leaving Campbell with a clear obstacle to correct during his reign.
In 10 seasons at Iowa State, Campbell led the Cyclones to eight winning seasons, including winning the Fiesta Bowl five years ago and reaching two Big 12 championship games. He established Iowa State as a conference contender, became the Cyclones’ winningest coach with a 72-55 record, and won the Big 12 Coach of the Year award three times.
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft courted several top candidates for the job, including BYU Cougars coach Kalani Sitake. Ultimately, Campbell was handed a mammoth eight-year contract worth $78.5 million with a $70.5 million base guarantee.
