Penn State Nittany Lions fans might be riding a wave of mixed emotions after the school named Matt Campbell over beloved interim Terry Smith. But Campbell didn’t waste a second winning them over. He scored major points right away with an introductory speech that paid respect to his predecessor, James Franklin, and Smith, the man he edged out for the job.

“For Coach (James) Franklin and what he built here at Penn State, I have the utmost respect for him,” Campbell said on December 8 during his introductory speech.

Campbell inked an eight-year deal that runs through 2033, worth a total of $70.5 million. He will start at $8 million in year one, with his salary bumping up by $250k in 2027, 2028, 2029, and again in 2031. As Penn State puts such a hefty amount at stake, the expectations from Campbell are enormous.

Notably, Franklin led Penn State to a College Football Playoff semifinal and concluded the 2024 season with a 13-3 record (8-1 in the Big Ten). Along with a CFP First Round and Fiesta Bowl win, he took the Nittany Lions to nine other bowl games, winning four, and delivered the 2016 Big Ten title.

Across his entire tenure, Franklin had just one season without a winning record. Yet, he was shown the exit door.

Penn State is clearly all-in on making the Campbell era thrive. According to The Inside Zone’s Matt Fortuna, the school has committed around $30 million in NIL backing for him. Athletic director Pat Kraft even said he wants the new coach “to maximize elite-level resources.”

Campbell also faces the challenge of proving he is an upgrade over the fan-favorite candidate. Yet during his introduction, he spoke highly of Smith and showed full respect.

“I got to meet Coach Smith during my time when he was the head football coach at Gateway,” said Campbell. “We love to go recruit his players because you know you’ve got a great player from Terry. It’s been so awesome to watch his commitment to Penn State, how he’s led this football program.”

Alongside Campbell’s praise, Penn State made waves with Smith. According to insider Jordan Schultz, Terry Smith is set to become “the highest-paid non-coordinator” in program history. Will the Nittany Lions players now be pleased?

His leadership made an immediate impact in the locker room. During the 37-10 rout of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, players held up signs reading “Hire Terry Smith,” and alumni like Michael Robinson voiced their support publicly. With Campbell’s immense respect for Smith, Kraft tried to melt the ice.

Amid the head coaching shuffle, his leaked audio went viral. In it, he hinted that Smith would not keep the job, even after a three-game winning streak. Yet, once Campbell arrived, Kraft spoke highly of Smith.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Coach Terry Smith for stepping up when we needed him the most,” said Kraft.

Now, how do things look for Campbell at Penn State?

Third time’s the charm for Matt Campbell and Penn State

For the first 51 days of Penn State’s search, Campbell wasn’t even considered. He admitted that he nearly left Iowa State, his winningest program to date, twice. But ultimately declined after sleeping on both offers.

Campbell hails from Massillon, Ohio, roughly 230 miles from Penn State, and spent summers with his grandparents in Carmichaels, a southwestern Pennsylvania coal-mining town. With his wife, Erica’s, family in Ohio, all of this made him seriously consider the Penn State job back in October.

Over the past five years, Campbell consistently appeared on nearly every Power 4 coaching hot list. He also drew serious NFL attention from teams like the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. However, he kept the two specific near-miss jobs under wraps.

Campbell landing the Penn State job earned the trust of Ohio State Buckeyes alum Kirk Herbstreit. 

“Of all the hires during this coaching carousel, this is the best FIT! Congrats to Penn State on this hire,” the ESPN College GameDay host shared on X.

To make the Campbell era a winning one at Penn State, he will be leaning on his Iowa State staff. Terry Smith is confirmed, but several other spots remain empty. Multiple reports indicate Campbell has already made his initial hire.

Derek Hoodjer, Iowa State’s assistant athletic director for player personnel, is set to follow Campbell to Penn State, according to Matt Zenitz. Now the spotlight turns to who else will join the team.