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New Penn State Coach Matt Campbell 'Not Wavering' From Style That Fueled Iowa State's Success originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
One of the most unlikely success stories is that of Matt Campbell, who brought Iowa State from the bottom of the Big 12 to a powerhouse. The 46-year-old attempts to bring his coaching style to mighty Penn State.
It’s been about 40 years since the Nittany Lions won a National Championship. James Franklin attempted to bring Penn State back to the glory days of Joe Paterno, leading the program to the CFP Semifinal in 2024, but after a historic collapse, he was let go in 2025.
Enter Campbell, who after starting with Toledo, brought Iowa State to 11 wins for the first time in 2024 en route to a Pop-Tarts Bowl win. The Cyclones have only been a losing team twice in Campbell’s 10 years with the program.
The winningest coach in Iowa State history, Campbell aims for his style of coaching to succeed at Penn State. Given the program, there will be some added pressure on his every move, something he’s ready for.
Matt Campbell ‘not wavering’ from what worked at Iowa State
A three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year despite not winning the conference during his tenure at Iowa State, Campbell became one of the most beloved coaches within the conference.
In many cases, what works for one program may not work for another. However, Campbell knows he was hired for getting results. How he got them at Iowa State is how he’s going to try to succeed at Penn State.
“I'm not wavering," Campbell told ESPN. "I think the misnomer has been [it's] not about results. The reality is, we have chosen to focus on the process and the people, aligning those two things as good or better than anybody to be the best we truly can be, and I think it's really why we got the results at Iowa State, and I don't know any other way.”
The Big 12 saw Iowa State become the home of some of the NFL’s top stars over the years. The Cyclones raised the likes of David Montgomery, Allen Lazard, Brock Purdy, and Breece Hall. Over 20 transfers have joined Campbell at Happy Valley, including Rocco Becht.
Campbell’s run with Iowa State earned him attention from other organizations, including within the NFL. The Lions reportedly offered him a multi-year deal at one point. He became a hot commodity, and he finally gave in to join Penn State.
Success hasn’t gotten to his head, yet. Instead, he’s using that to attempt to bring back a dynasty, one step at a time.
"We're going to have to continue to grow at a rapid pace," said Campbell. "We're going to have to experience success and failure, and how do we respond to that? That's ultimately where we'll be defined, and so I love the challenge of that. That's really been my focus -- not so much about what is success or what is failure. It's, man, what are the processes?"
Penn State football schedule 2026
Below is the latest look at the Nittany Lions' schedule for the 2026-27 football season:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) |
| Sat., Sept. 5 | vs. Marshall | 3:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Sept. 12 | at Temple | Noon |
| Sat., Sept. 19 | vs. Buffalo | Noon |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | vs. Wisconsin | TBD |
| Fri., Oct. 2 | at Northwestern | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | vs. USC | TBD |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | at Michigan | TBD |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | vs. Purdue | TBD |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | at Washington | TBD |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | vs. Minnesota | TBD |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | vs. Rutgers | TBD |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | at Maryland | TBD |
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