Could Iowa State's Matt Campbell Leave for Penn State?

On Sunday, October 12th, a bombshell dropped in college football. After 12 seasons, James Franklin, the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, was fired. His dismissal came after Penn State dropped three games in a row after being ranked #2 in the AP Top 25 at the beginning of the season.

Don't weep too hard for Franklin. Sure, it sucks to lose a job, but it's made a bit easier when you have $49 million still owed to you due to a contract buyout. He'll more than likely get another job at a second-tier program this offseason. The big question that's got everyone talking now: who will succeed Franklin at Penn State?

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Various Names are Being Thrown Around:

It's important to note that a lot of the names you're hearing being "considered" for the Penn State job aren't necessarily in the running. It's a lot of speculation and assumption based on fans and beat writers who need something to write about.

Popular names that Penn State could entertain are Curt Cignetti, the current coach of Indiana who has an argument for being the best college football coach at the moment; Matt Rhule, current coach of Nebraska; and Manny Diaz, who has injected life into the Duke football program.

Could Matt Campbell Leave Iowa State for Penn State?:

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Another popular name that's being thrown around for the Penn State head coaching job is Matt Campbell, the longtime coach of Iowa State. Campbell's run at Iowa State has been exceptional. Just looking at his record (69-53) doesn't do it justice. He has taken that program to a whole new level of respectability. Last season, he led the Cyclones to their first double-digit winning season in school history, and has been named Big 12 Coach of the Year three times.

In August 2025, Campbell signed a contract extension with Iowa State that lasts through 2032, so he is fresh off a new deal that would keep him in Ames for a considerable amount of time. That said, Campbell has entertained other job opportunities before. In 2021, Campbell threw his hat in the ring for an NFL job, and depending on who you ask, was pretty close to getting the Detroit Lions head coaching job.

Should Campbell leave Iowa State for Penn State, there would be a whole new level of pressure on him to succeed at a high-profile job. One of the biggest criticisms levied at James Franklin during his tenure as Nittany Lions head coach was he couldn't win the big games (he had a record of 4-21 against teams ranked within the AP Top 10). Whomever takes the Penn State job is going to be expected to win those marquee matchups.

Read more about college coaches who could succeed James Franklin at Penn State on Sports Illustrated's website.