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Well before Matt Campbell left Iowa State for Penn State, he was seriously considering a jump to the NFL.
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Campbell coached the Cyclones from 2016-2025, owning a 72-55 record and winning Big 12 Coach of the Year three times. He helped develop a plethora of NFL players, including New York Jets running back Breece Hall and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
It was no secret Campbell’s success in Ames put him on the NFL’s radar. However, it wasn’t until this week that ESPN revealed Campbell had a deal in place with the Detroit Lions in 2021.
Although he reportedly agreed to coach the Lions, Campbell ultimately stayed at Iowa State.
“Leaving Ames wasn’t something that I was looking to do or wanting to do,” Campbell said.
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Looking forward to the 2026 season.
There’s no question Campbell will take on a bigger challenge as Penn State’s head coach, but he seems ready for it.
“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 has hired Taylor Mouser as his offensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn as his defensive coordinator, and Justin Lustig as his special teams coordinator.
As for Campbell’s roster, he brought former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht with him to Happy Valley. The talented signal-caller completed 60.7% of his passes at Iowa State for 9,274 yards with 64 touchdowns and 27 interceptions
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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 8:53 AM.