US EditionPenn State officially introduces Matt Campbell as new football coach
Matt Campbell, Iowa State's winningest coach, signed an eight-year, $70.5 million contract and retained interim coach Terry Smith on his staff, preparing for the 2026 season.
- On Monday the Penn State Board of Trustees approved Matt Campbell after a deal completed Friday, formally making him Penn State University's 17th head football coach.
- Following James Franklin's Oct. 12 dismissal, a 54-day search led by Pat Kraft and calls from Kraft and Neeli Bendapudi persuaded Matt Campbell to become Penn State's head coach.
- Campbell, who spent 10 seasons at Iowa State, left as the program's winningest coach, guiding the Cyclones to their only 11-win season in 2024 and two top-15 AP finishes.
- Campbell kept Terry Smith on staff, and Derek Hoodjer joined as general manager while Smith will coach Penn State in the Dec. 27 Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson.
- The university disclosed Matt Campbell's eight-year contract worth $70.5 million after the Committee on Equity and Human Resources meeting, and he arrived in State College on Sunday to fans who camped out in freezing weather.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Penn State owes thanks to Terry Smith for his calm leadership
NEW YORK – Penn State’s 2025 football season was disappointing, tumultuous, strange and so much more. The Nittany Lions began the season ranked second in the top 25, dropped six straight games and then won their final four. They saw their head coach, James Franklin, fired the day after a second straight loss to a prohibitive underdog and nine months after he led them to the College Football Playoff semifinals. They lost their starting quarterbac…
Matt Campbell Returns Major Favor to PSU Coach Who Did Damage Control to Protect His $70.5M Future
When Penn State fired James Franklin, many fans thought the season was finished. Then Terry Smith stepped in and quickly steadied the program, earning strong support from both players and fans. Even though many wanted Smith to stay on full-time, PSU hired Matt Campbell with a $70.5 m contract instead. Campbell brought several staffers from Iowa State with him. But he still made sure to recognize Smith’s impact and plans to keep him on staff movi…
The Pottstown Mercury
Main LineMatt Campbell is what Penn State football team needs right now
When college and pro coaches are hired in any sport, most of them handle their introductory press conferences with aplomb. Matt Campbell was no different earlier this week when he spoke in front of the Penn State football community for the first time. He said all the right things. He used requisite words such as trust, relationships, culture and grit. He touched on the history and tradition of the Nittany Lions and mentioned Todd Blackledge, Jac…
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