Matt Campbell’s unprecedented success at Iowa State afforded him plenty of opportunities to leave for high-profile college football programs and the NFL. But he never felt compelled to leave Ames until Penn State opened this fall.
“I never wanted to be that coach that was, ‘Oh man, I’m going to jump from job to job,” Campbell said at his introductory news conference at Penn State Monday afternoon. “If we were ever to leave Iowa State, I wanted to go somewhere (where) I wanted to finish my career. … I found that, and I couldn’t be more humbled and more grateful for that opportunity.”
Campbell’s Rust Belt roots and proximity to family in Ohio played a role in leaving for Penn State, which officially hired him Friday. He and his wife’s parents live in Ohio, where three of his four children were born. Over 10 years, Campbell guided Iowa State to eight winning Big 12 seasons — the program had only one before his arrival — and is the winningest coach in program history. He was also named Big 12 coach of the year three times.
How Campbell shaped Iowa State into one of the Big 12’s best programs caught everyone’s eye, including Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft. Late in a coaching search that began with James Franklin’s firing on Oct. 12, Kraft settled in on Campbell last week after overtures with BYU coach Kalani Sitake were rebuffed. Kraft and Campbell met in Ames last week, and on Friday, Campbell accepted the job.
“We didn’t really have a timeline,” Kraft said. “We were focused on finding the right person and at all cost. And it’ll probably be a Netflix documentary at some point.
“He was perfect,” Kraft added, “and we connected on so many levels.”
Kraft also addressed leaked audio last week of him meeting with Penn State football players, where he belittled other Big Ten players and programs, among other statements
“I fell short of the standard that I should represent for all those people, all my staff that sits up there, all 833 athletes that I represent,” Kraft said. “I can’t apologize enough for those who I may have offended and I gotta get better.”
Campbell, 46, displayed both the raw emotion and intensity that turned him into a beloved figure at Iowa State. He broke down multiple times when discussing this opportunity— “It’s a dream come true” — and leaving Iowa State. He vowed to work with Penn State’s football alumni and hoped to follow Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson’s example of leaving Ames for great success in Happy Valley. Sanderson has won 12 national titles since 2011.
“We’ve had unbelievable moments during our tenure as a football coach,” Campbell said. “We’ve had some great learning lessons along the way, and it’s all confidently prepared me to step into this role and to continue to build the greatest college football program in the country.”
“I’m going to demand a similar standard of excellence that the last great Iowa State coach that came here.”