Penn State’s search for a replacement for the fired James Franklin has ended with the hiring of Iowa State HC Matt Campbell.

Campbell’s confirmation in Happy Valley also brings to an end a seemingly chaotic pursuit of a new leader for the Nittany Lions, with an internal swell of support for interim HC Terry Smith being overwhelmed by the desire to land a bigger name to head up the programme.

The rumour mill continued to churn out names on a weekly basis from the time of Franklin’s unceremonious firing in mid-October. With an equal intent on finding a replacement with previous head coaching experience, early enquiries included some big targets, from Urban Meyer and Matt Rhule (Nebraska) to Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and the likes of 2025 headliners Mike Elko (Texas A&M), Curt Cignetti (Indiana) and Clark Lea (Vanderbilt), and it was notable that several candidates immediately received new contracts from their current teams in a bid to head off the interest from Pennsylvania. Lincoln Riley (USC) and Kalen DeBoer (Alabama) received brief interest, before the Lions made no secret of their interest in luring Kalani Sitake from BYU — only for a period of positivity to be quashed by another new contract offer. James Madison head coach Bob Chesney opted not to wait for a formal offer and chose UCLA instead. Brent Key (Georgia Tech) and Willie Fritz (Houston) were mentioned in passing, before the speculation swung to NFL head coaches past and present, with Brian Daboll (until recently with the New York Giants) and Mike Tomlin (on the hotseat in Pittsburgh) both garnering headlines.

Eventually, however, the search stopped at Iowa State, with Campbell — linked to many high-profile jobs in recent seasons — finally being prised away from the Cyclones.

“I’m thrilled to share with the Penn State community that we have reached an agreement with Matt Campbell to have him serve as the 17th head football coach at Penn State,” Patrick Kraft, vice-president for intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement. “We look forward to officially welcoming Coach Campbell and his family to Penn State on Monday, pending the approval of terms by the Board of Trustees’ Equity and Human Resources Committee consistent with the bylaws, which require advance notice of meetings.

“Coach Campbell is, without a doubt, the right leader at the right time for Penn State Football. He is a stellar coach with a proven track record of success and his values, character and approach to leading student-athletes to success on and off the field align perfectly with the traditions and values of Penn State.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Coach Terry Smith for stepping up when we needed him the most and for rallying our team to finish this season with three straight wins. Coach Smith bleeds blue-and-white and pours his entire heart and soul into Penn State Football. I’m deeply grateful for his commitment to our University, and I am excited that he will continue to be a part of this programme.”

Support from Smith came most intensely from his players, and his retention as part of Campbell’s staff is seen as a sop to preventing a large cohort heading for the transfer portal. The Lions have seen a wave of decommitments since Franklin’s departure and prompted the athletic department to offer Smith a four-year deal to remain as part of the coaching team — with some rumours suggesting he could become the highest-paid non-coordinator in college football as Penn State dissuaded him from following up interest from both UConn and Memphis for their head coaching roles.

The Lions are expected to complete their season — which began with the second-overall preseason rank before dissolving into the disappointment of a 6-6 record — with a berth in the Pinstripe Bowl on 27th December.