Matt Campbell pledged Penn State would wake up every single day with a mission to build a unified program determined to turn adversity into greatness.
Campbell, 46, became a head coach at 31 and went from Toledo to Iowa State. He had a 72-55 record at Iowa State and is 107-70 overall as a head coach.
Campbell bit on the Penn State vacancy after turning down prominent offers and overtures from college football and the NFL, which he said was all about “priorities in your life.”
The perspective came from being home with his wife and four children during the COVID pandemic. A few days on the scene with his family during the day prompted Campbell to ask “This is what’s happening at home?”
“If we’re going to leave, it better be about your family,” Campbell said of his decision last week. “We’re (now) two-and-a-half hours away from home (at Penn State). If we’re going to leave, we want to leave to be with the best.”
Campbell said he felt the connection with Penn State after just one conversation with athletic director Dr. Patrick Kraft.
“I knew what their demand is,” Campbell said. “They wanted to be the best for the right reasons. I think the last thing is, ‘What do you want to stand for?’ The hard thing for me ever wanting to leave and getting close. I never wanted to be that coach that jumped from job to job. If I were ever to leave Iowa State, I wanted it to go somewhere and finish my career. And stand for something bigger than Matt Campbell. It’s not about me. It’s about the players, represent something bigger than myself. I felt that.”
Kraft said he operated without a timeline and declined to discuss particulars around the search or confirm details reported about the search. According to reports, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, BYU’s Kalani Sitake, Louisville’s Jeff Brohm and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea were targets of Kraft and Penn State but passed on State College.
“It’ll probably be a Netflix documentary at some point,” Kraft said.
“The way Matt and I got to each other through some twists and turns. I needed a partner. As things went around, it was a late-night phone call between the two of us. I was banging my head against the wall: ‘Why did it take so long for us to find each other.’ I woke my wife up, I woke Betsy up, and said ‘This is the guy.’ We got the guy. We got the guy we wanted who is going to lead us to a national championship.”
Campbell said he had never been to State College and admitted there was apprehension when he decided it was time to leave Iowa State to take over a vacancy created when James Franklin was fired midseason.
“I’m here because those players (at Iowa State) believe in me,” Campbell said.
Penn State moved quickly to retain interim head coach Terry Smith. Kraft said the decision was “easy” because “Terry is Penn State.” Campbell said he will talk to all coaches on the existing coaching staff, meet with players and then begin building the rest of his coaching staff. He said there are assistants from the Cyclones’ staff he plans to engage about joining him at Penn State.
“It was a no-brainer. That’s a testament to Terry,” Kraft said.
Campbell said it was “critically important” to make Smith the linchpin of his first Penn State coaching staff because of their relationship dating to his high school coaching days.
His meetings with players will be individual and Campbell plans to sit down with each of them individually to share his goals and vision for the program.
“I know gamedays here at Beaver Stadium with 107,000-plus is one of the greatest venues in all of football. I can’t wait to make you proud of what we’re all about,” Campbell said, describing his walk through the hallways to see names synonymous with the game, from Jack Ham and Franco Harris to Saquon Barkley.
“You could almost feel goosebumps going down the side of my arms. Some of the best ever to play the game of football,” Campbell said. “I know this: it’s my responsibility to each and every one of you, every single step of the way to lock arms with you.”
Penn State is preparing for the Pinstripe Bowl with practice Monday. Campbell said he would work with Smith and figure out the best way to be involved with the team without becoming a hindrance.
Campbell and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni won three national championships together as players and another as assistant coaches at Division III Mount Union. Sirianni described the coaching education as a “doctorate.” He coached offensive linemen and Campbell was offensive coordinator.
“Nick’s been there for us,” Campbell said.
Campbell is a Massillon, Ohio, native and former college defensive lineman who spent a season at Pittsburgh before moving on to Mount Union from 1999-2002. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 2003 before taking the Mount Union job.
