Penn State football hired new head coach Matt Campbell after an exhaustingly long search. So far, it's panned out well for the Nittany Lions. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel believe it will continue doing so.
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Feldman and Mandel released their top 25 power rankings for college football head coaches entering the 2026 season. Both put Campbell at No. 11.
Bruce Feldman says Matt Campbell is "an excellent hire" and underrated
One thing that Feldman harped on was Campbell's underrated success with the Cyclones.
He noted that "since the end of World War II, Iowa State has had only 25 seasons with a winning record in conference play. Campbell produced eight of them — and did that in the past nine years."
Alongside Michigan's Kyle Whittingham, who earned the No. 9 spot on Feldman's ranking, Campbell is considered "an excellent hire," according to the reporter.
"He’s a terrific evaluator and has done a masterful job of developing talent and fostering a winning culture at a place that had little margin for error," Feldman wrote. "Last year, the Cyclones opened 5-0 before injuries ravaged their defense, but they still rallied to finish 8-4."
This record, which is a .567 win percentage, might not seem extravagant. Mandel called it "modest," but in comparison to what the program accomplished prior, it's impressive nonetheless.
"Campbell’s seemingly modest .567 winning percentage at Iowa State was, in fact, the highest of any coach there in more than a century," Mandel said. "He led the Cyclones to their first two Big 12 title games (2020 and ’24), their first New Year’s bowl (Fiesta) and first double-digit-win season (11-3 in 2024). But he did have a disappointing 8-4 finale."
Another thing to consider is the lack of resources, in comparison to Penn State, Campbell had with the Cyclones. Now with the Nittany Lions, there's no excuse for a dull, lackluster season. His turnaround success at Iowa State must translate over to the Nittany Lions accordingly. With the number of transfers from his previous stint following him to Happy Valley, he shouldn't have an issue doing so, especially with a regular season schedule that is practically a gift for year one.