Matt Campbell is not wasting any time reshaping the Penn State program. Campbell has spent his first week meeting with players, assembling his front office, and making critical staff decisions. But among his more decisive moves, Campbell is letting go of one particular coach who was a reason for Penn State’s downfall this season.

Matt Campbell is letting go of wide receivers coach Marques Hagans, according to multiple sources reported by On3. Hagans, the former Virginia standout who spent 11 years coaching wideouts at UVA before joining Penn State in January 2023. He lasted just three seasons in Happy Valley. Hagans is viewed as one of the coaches most responsible for the offensive struggles that ultimately led to Franklin’s firing. 

Franklin was dismissed after Penn State stumbled after a 3-0 start, and the key reason was the program’s inability to develop a passing game around quarterback Drew Allar. Analysts pointed directly at the wide receiver room’s lack of production. And Franklin himself acknowledged at Big Ten media days back in the summer that Allar “needs more playmaking around him.” The blame for that barren receiving corps? A lot of it landed on Hagans’ desk, both for recruiting failures and for his inability to develop the talent he did bring in.​

The 2024 and 2025 seasons tell the story of just how dire things got at wide receiver under Hagans’ watch. In 2024, Allar’s most reliable target wasn’t even a wideout. It was 6’5″, 256-pound tight end Tyler Warren, who hauled in 104 receptions for 1,233 yards. Allar targeted Warren on 135 of his 422 pass attempts that season. By comparison, his entire wide receiver group combined for just 171 targets. 

The 2025 season, which sealed Franklin’s fate, exposed the receiving corps even further. Hagans brought in three transfer wideouts, Kyron Hudson from USC, Trebor Pena from Syracuse, and Devonte Ross from Troy. Most of these players had shown flashes at their previous stops. But that production never materialized at Penn State. Hudson managed just 19 catches for 218 yards through six games. Pena, who had 84 catches and 932 yards at Syracuse in 2024, was held to 44 catches for 452 yards and a single touchdown in twelve games. Ross got only 28 receptions with 417 yards.

Looking at Hagans’ three-year tenure, the recruiting failures are just as damaging as the on-field struggles. Outside of five-star tight end Luke Reynolds from the 2024 class, Hagans didn’t land a single four-star wide receiver in 2024. Penn State also lost its top two wideouts (KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Harrison Wallace III) from back-to-back seasons to the transfer portal. So, Campbell’s decision not to retain Hagans isn’t surprising. It’s overdue. And it shows that the new regime understands exactly where the previous staff went wrong.​

Campbell brings Iowa State blueprint to Happy Valley

Matt Campbell is importing the entire culture from Ames, including the people who made that culture. His first major move was bringing Taylor Mouser, his offensive coordinator from Iowa State, to run the same position with the Nittany Lions. Penn State’s staff directory now officially lists him in the role. 

Mouser, 34, has spent his entire 11-year coaching career under Campbell. He has worked his way up from graduate assistant at Toledo in 2015 to offensive coordinator by 2024. He also just won FootballScoop’s 2025 tight ends coach of the year award, which is fitting since he’ll likely handle that position group at Penn State, too. 

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Alongside Mouser, Campbell brought in Ryan Clanton as offensive line coach and Deon Broomfield as defensive secondary coordinator, both Iowa State assistants. Behind the scenes, it’s a full Iowa State reunion. General manager Derek Hoodjer, strength coach Reid Kagy, and director of player personnel Trent Slattenow have all followed Campbell east.​

But Campbell’s roster overhaul meant saying goodbye to some familiar faces. Jim Knowles bolted for Tennessee. Tight ends coach Ty Howle and quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien both left to join James Franklin’s new staff. And running backs coach Stan Drayton is headed to South Carolina. The only real continuity? Interim head coach Terry Smith, who agreed to a four-year deal to stay on staff after stabilizing the program following Franklin’s October firing.​