It appears Matt Campbell is wasting no time shaking up Penn State’s football team.
Penn State held an introductory press conference for Campbell on Monday. He told the media that he was never looking to leave Iowa State. However, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to coach a program with such rich history.
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“You knew their excellence and what they stood for — a blue blood football program. No question,” Campbell said, via Onward State. “The sacrifice, the passion, of so many of you, individually to become the best and collectively have some of the greatest teams in the history of college football. I know this — it’s my responsibility to each and every one of you, every single step of the way.”
Campbell, a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, had a 72-55 record during his run with the Cyclones. The fans in Happy Valley will demand even more wins from him now that he’s coaching the Nittany Lions.
Dec 8, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Matt Campbell poses for a photo after being announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference at the Beaver Stadium Press Room. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Immediately after agreeing to an eight-year deal with Penn State, Campbell went out of his way to retain interim coach Terry Smith.
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“It was critically important for me to keep Terry, in my opinion,” Campbell said, via Penn State Nittany Lions on SI. “Terry and I have had a great partnership from his days at Gateway. I know what he’s about and what he stands for. Building a staff is so critical because you need to build it around the same character values as who you are and what you want your team to stand for.”
Changes to the defense.
According to Pete Nakos of On3, the Nittany Lions won’t retain defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
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Prior to joining Penn State’s staff in 2025, Knowles was the defensive coordinator for Oklahoma State (2018-2021) and Ohio State (2022-2024).
We’d have to imagine Knowles will find work elsewhere before the start of the 2026 season.
As for Campbell, he’ll now be tasked with replacing a well-respected defensive mind.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Dec 10, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.