Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
2 6 A U G U S T 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 / / / / / / / 2 0 2 6 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / M att Campbell's office on the sec- ond floor of the Lasch Building is having some light work done. Accordingly, the setting for his 90-min- ute block of offseason interviews with local reporters required a temporary move and some adjustment. It's no trouble for Campbell. He's used to it. Well past the most frantic stretch of an offseason transition that brought him from a decade-long stint at Iowa State to Penn State, where he now serves as the 17th head coach in program history, Campbell is starting to feel comfortable in his new job. He brought many famil- iar faces with him from Ames — both coaching colleagues and players — and has settled into his surroundings. Getting to this point in the calendar, however, was considerably more chal- lenging. Upon his formal introduction at Bea- ver Stadium on Dec. 8, Campbell found himself juggling a massive overhaul of the program's personnel at every level. Trusted coaches and staffers migrated alongside him. New assistants were hired. Others were identified as valuable people to retain, while some moved on. Together, they applied the same ap- proach to the roster, blending returning Nittany Lions with former Iowa State players and a healthy mix of transfer portal additions. Add in a completely rebuilt 2026 recruiting class, and the program was whole — or remarkably close to it despite several injury ab- sences — in time for winter workouts and spring practice. The schedule finally allowed for a MATT CAMPBELL'S MATT CAMPBELL'S BOLD VISION BOLD VISION The Nittany Lions' first-year head coach sees principled leadership as a pathway to long-term success NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M Campbell came to Penn State in January after going 72-55 in 10 seasons at Iowa State. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/ PENN STATE ATHLETICS