New head coach Matt Campbell has a lot to prove as he takes on this next chapter of his coaching career at Penn State.
It's definitely not national title or bust in year one, and it's not even playoff appearance of bust, either. A foundation must be built, and the schedule allows Campbell to start his tenure off on the right foot. He has to prove he's a better leader for the Nittany Lions now than former head coach James Franklin and that his ceiling is higher than what Franklin's was, in particular.
The expectations are there, but he has some leeway, specifically in year one. Not every head coach Penn State faces in 2026, though, has that kind of grace. Campbell's clock has just started, but there are a few coaches who are running out of time.
Here are the three head coaches Campbell matches up against this season who have much more to prove.
Scheduled: Week 6 at Penn State
Riley is heading into his fifth season as USC's head coach and has gotten the Trojans into a bowl game every year. Unlike the other two coaches on this list, a non-playoff bowl game doesn't cut it. Riley has put together a 35-18 overall record, 11-7 Big Ten record (13-5 Pac-12 record), and 5-13 record vs. Top 25 teams.
In 2022, Riley got USC to the No. 12 spot in the final AP Poll ranking and to No. 20 in the 2025 final ranking. The Trojans finished fifth in the Big Ten last season. Now, he has to reach the next level and get USC into the College Football Playoff. Riley has a lot of resources to work with in 2026, and is starting off the season with the No. 15 team in the country.
Like Campbell, Riley has playoff expectations looming over him. Luckily for Campbell, though, that expectation doesn't have to be met in 2026.
Scheduled: Week 4 at Penn State
Fickell was hired by the Badgers on Nov. 27, 2022 and coached one game for Wisconsin to finish out that 7-6 season. From 2023-25, he's logged a 16-21 overall record, 10-17 Big Ten record, and 0-12 record vs. Top 25 teams.
Granted, Fickell hasn't been blessed with easy schedules since he went to Wisconsin, but getting shutout twice and being held to one score three times in 2025 is unacceptable. The Badgers' season opening contest vs. Middle Tennessee was the only game they managed to score more than 14 points last year. Wisconsin finished 15th in the Big Ten.
Fickell went from three double-digit win seasons and two nine-win seasons at Cincinnati to just one season finishing above .500 with the Badgers. He went 4-8 in 2025. Needless to say, that seat is on fire and Campbell is the first Big Ten coach he meets in 2026.
Scheduled: Week 13 at Penn State
Locksley is entering year eight with the Terrapins and only three winning seasons under his belt as their head coach (2021-23). The last two years, he's went 4-8 overall and 1-8 in the Big Ten. He has yet to finish a season with a winning record in the conference. Locksley is 37-49 overall and 2-20 against Top 25 teams.
The only Big Ten opponent Locksley beat was Wisconsin, 27-10, in 2025 and went 0-8 to finish the season. Maryland was close in a few of those games, but he couldn't pull out a single win against Washington, Nebraska, UCLA, Rutgers, or Michigan State.
The Terrapins still took a chance on him and kept him around for the 2026 season, but Locksley needs to get this team to a bowl game or else he's getting the boot. He can't go another season finishing at the bottom of the conference (16th in 2025; 17th in 2024).
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