Penn State’s head coach search has largely been behind the scenes. On the field, the Lions haven’t fared well after they fired James Franklin. The most damage has been done on the recruiting front. In the last week, Iowa State’s Matt Campbell has emerged as a leading candidate for the position. While he is common knowledge at Happy Valley, there is another name with a bit of an infamous touch that Pat Kraft can consider.

“Totally open to Matt Campbell because all of a sudden it’s like, whoa, he was good enough for them. Maybe he is good enough for us,” Pate said on the 17th November edition of his college football show. “Also, Pat Fitzgerald’s just sitting there. As much as I tout Matt Campbell, Pat Fitzgerald, like, who really says no to that?” Pat Fitzgerald hasn’t been a gleaming name in the CFB coaching circuit. After his tough exit from Northwestern amid hazing allegations, Fitzgerald is now back with the same itch of head coaching.

Fitzgerald views this unplanned break as a blessing. Instead of dwelling on the past, Fitzgerald used this sabbatical to coach his boys in high school and dive deep into the seismic shifts in college football. He admits the game in 2025 looks nothing like it did when he last coached Northwestern in 2022. “The old era’s dead. We don’t see dinosaurs walking around anymore because you have to evolve,” Fitzgerald said. 

His breakup with the Wildcats was rather messy. They suspended him for two weeks even though they had no evidence against him. Feeling wronged, Fitzgerald sued Northwestern for wrongful termination, seeking $130 million.

The lawsuit dragged on until an August 2025 settlement, which cleared him of any direct involvement or knowledge and served as a vindication for Fitzgerald and his family. “I feel very fortunate,” Fitzgerald said when asked how he has been received in the college hiring space. “I feel fully vindicated. It’s been great working through this process.” Fitzgerald has an impressive resume to support his claim of being a good head coach, despite the allegations. Pat Fitzgerald went 110–101 in 17 seasons at Northwestern, with a 65–76 Big Ten record.

He led the Wildcats to 10 bowl games and five Top-25 finishes, peaking in 2020 with a 7–2 season, a Big Ten West title, and a No. 10 ranking. But things unraveled quickly after that. Northwestern stumbled to 3–9 and 1–11 in his final two years, with just one Big Ten win each season. However, his conference experience can’t be ignored. But for now, it’s all about Matt Campbell.

Matt Campbell’s low-key approach to big jobs

Matt Campbell isn’t the one to hear replacement rumors right in the middle of the season. However, the Iowa State head coach has already been in the mix for the Penn State job. He transformed the Cyclones from a struggling program into a consistent Big 12 contender, earning two Big 12 Coach of the Year awards. Now his loyalty has led him to ignore all the previous coaching opportunities that came his way.

But now he deserves an upgrade. Campbell’s been doing more with less out in Ames, and he could seriously take off with the kind of resources Penn State has. Josh Pate pointed out that Campbell is a perfect fit for Penn State, even before mentioning Pat Fitzgerald. Campbell spent 10 years at Iowa State, building the Cyclones into a consistent force with a 70–55 record.

“My guy on there is Matt Campbell,” Pate said. “Matt Campbell’s biggest flaw is that he doesn’t really play the game the same way other guys do. He refuses to be a candidate for this stuff during a season.” Campbell keeps his name out of the coaching carousel until the very end of the season. But now, with the 2025 season wrapping up soon, the Nittany Lions need to pull up their socks and step up their coaching search.