Penn State Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell was one of the most sought-after coaches during his tenure as coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, but he opted to stay in Ames until the height of the coaching carousel that gripped college football last year. After being linked with several high-profile coaches after Franklin was fired, Penn State settled on Campbell.
Franklin’s sacking was far from smooth, as he was fired midway through the season and was owed a huge $49 million buyout by the Nittany Lions before he took the Virginia Tech Hokies job, leading to a reduced payment.
Why Matt Campbell Chose the Penn State Nittany Lions
During Tuesday’s segment of the “Next Up” podcast with host Adam Breneman, Campbell revealed why he finally opted to leave Iowa State and take the Nittany Lions’ job to succeed Franklin.
“I really think the tradition and the history of its finest moments, its finest era,” Campbell said. “It’s been done in my vision of what college football should be about. Understanding that it’s still a developmental period for 18-22 year olds to become their best. It should be about an unbelievable history.”
“If you look at the alumni and the history of this school as a university and the education that you can get here, it’s really special. It’s bigger than just football. But, boy, when football and excellence are just wrapped into it, it’s got a chance to stand for something really special. It was the recipe of the right people at the right time for myself.”
Franklin was fired a few months after leading the Nittany Lions to the verge of the national championship game, with a heart-wrenching 27-24 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl.
Franklin’s Penn State returned several starters from the previous season and was ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25, but a three-game slide that was exacerbated by a loss to the Northwestern Wildcats led to his firing.
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft was criticized for his long-running search for a head coach, including a public snub by BYU Cougars coach Kalani Sitake, before finally handing Campbell an eight-year contract worth $78.5 million, with a $70.5 million base guarantee.
In 10 seasons at the helm of the Cyclones, Campbell went 72-55, becoming the program’s winningest coach. Before that, he also had a commendable 35-15 record as head coach of the Toledo Rockets (2011–2015).
During his tenure at Iowa State, Campbell led the Cyclones to eight winning seasons, including a Fiesta Bowl win in 2020 and two Big 12 Championship Game appearances. He was also named the Big 12 Coach of the Year thrice in his career.
