Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541990
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M sonnel Trent Slattenow and athletic per- formance manager Aaron Hillmann. But beyond those key staffers, it was unclear in the first hectic days of his employment who would be coming and going. Players, too, have some weighty deci- sions to make. The Nittany Lions have 106 players on their 2025 roster with re- maining eligibility. The transfer portal will be open from Jan. 2-16, and it's widely assumed that PSU will be a prominent school on both the outgoing and incoming sides of the ledger. That said, the effusive tone of Camp- bell's first few days in State College made it hard to believe anyone wouldn't want to be part of the future he's envisioning for the Nittany Lions. While effusiveness is to be expected at an introductory presser, he's got the kind of résumé that supports the ambitious vision he laid out following his arrival. In addition to his success at Iowa State, Campbell excelled at Toledo, guiding the Rockets to a 35-15 record and four bowl berths in five seasons. And before he be- gan his coaching career, he was part of the best Division III program in the country as a player, winning All-America honors as a defensive end on a Mount Union (Ohio) team that won three national champion- ships and went 54-1 during his tenure. Those experiences turned Campbell into the kind of coach who can galvanize players and fans. And administrators, too. "Great programs, elite programs, are built around great people, and this is a great family we are bringing to Happy Valley," Kraft said. "Make absolutely no mistake about it, Penn State is once again a program that no one wants to see on their schedule anymore." The first opponent that will see Camp- bell's Nittany Lions is Marshall, which is set to visit Beaver Stadium on Sept. 5 in next year's season opener. After that will come matchups with Temple, Buf- falo, Maryland and Michigan to start the season. There's a lot of roster management to be done in the coming weeks, and the players who end up comprising Camp- bell's first Penn State team will have to adapt to a new strength staff, new posi- tion coaches and a new schematic ap- proach in some areas. But he's determined to ensure that Penn State's upcoming foes see a team that lives up to its full potential, just as Iowa State's rivals always did. "From this day forward we're going to wake up every single day in this football program and build championship habits," Campbell said. "We're going to do it one day at a time and do it from the ground up. We're going to do it in a football pro- gram that's going to demand toughness — mental and physical." Under his leadership, Campbell said, the Nittany Lions will exhibit "discipline at every corner and most importantly to- getherness — selflessness and together- ness — one team, one program, unified to continue the great pride and the great tradition of Penn State football." ■ Matt Campbell Year By Year Toledo Year Team Overall Conf. Bowl 2011 Toledo 1-0 0-0 W, Military 2012 Toledo 9-4 6-2 L, Famous Idaho Potato 2013 Toledo 7-5 5-3 — 2014 Toledo 9-4 7-1 W, GoDaddy 2015 Toledo 9-2 6-2 Boca Raton* Toledo: 35-15, 24-8 Mid-American Iowa State 2016 Iowa State 3-9 2-7 — 2017 Iowa State 8-5 5-4 W, Liberty 2018 Iowa State 8-5 6-3 L, Alamo 2019 Iowa State 7-6 5-4 L, Camping World 2020 Iowa State 9-3 8-1 W, Fiesta 2021 Iowa State 7-6 5-4 L, Cheez-It 2022 Iowa State 4-8 1-8 — 2023 Iowa State 7-6 6-3 L, Liberty 2024 Iowa State 11-3 7-2 W, Pop-Tarts 2025 Iowa State 8-4 5-4 — Iowa State: 72-55, 50-40 Big 12 * Did not coach bowl game after accepting Iowa State head coaching position Campbell's football journey has taken him from Mount Union, where he was a Division III All-American, to Toledo, Iowa State and now Penn State. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS