Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541990
2 6 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M A fter a 54-day search, Penn State athletics director Patrick Kraft landed Iowa State coach Matt Campbell to take over the program. Campbell has been the head coach at Iowa State for the past 10 years and has built a respectable Big 12 pro- gram that has contended for the con- ference title multiple times under his leadership. What does his program look like, and how do his preferences and tendencies fit, or not fit, at Penn State? After inves- tigating his performance with the Cy- clones, we have some thoughts on what will translate to the Big Ten and perhaps what won't. Offense The most notable program-level trait of Campbell's teams is their consistent excellence on offense. It's not about the points or yards or schemes; it's about the play-level execution. Campbell was a Division III All-America defensive end during his playing career at Mount Union and was an offensive line coach at Bowl- ing Green, so he pays attention to the details in the trenches. While I am not an expert on tech- Fit Check Fit Check Matt Campbell looks to be well-suited to Penn State's football culture and objectives T H O M A S F R A N K CA R R | T F R A N K . C A R R @ O N 3 . C O M Campbell's Iowa State teams were consistent over- achievers, compiling eight winning seasons in his 10 years at the school. PHOTO COURTESY IOWA STATE ATHLETICS