Moments after officially being voted in by the Board of Trustees, Penn State head coach Matt Campbell met with the media at noon on Monday for an introductory press conference in front of a packed Beaver Stadium media room.
In an emotionally charged and passionate introduction, Campbell hit on all the right notes, showing humility as he thanked those who helped him to this point and expressing excitement for the future.
Here’s what he said.
Pulse of the program
It was clear from the jump Campbell has a strong grasp of the history and tradition of the university, referencing Nittany Lion greats throughout his press conference.
Though he’d never been to campus prior to Sunday, Campbell referenced growing up in both Massillon, Ohio, and Carmichael, Pennsylvania. His grandparents, with whom he was close, were proud Penn State fans.
He recalled hearing about former Nittany Lion quarterback Todd Blackledge growing up, and later cited former head coach Joe Paterno and the “toughness and character” he instilled in the program.
Campbell also talked about former players Kyle Brady and Jack Ham, and wrestling coach Cael Sanderson — who also came from Iowa State. He compared his sons Rudy and Rocco to Penn State legends Courtney Brown and Kerry Collins.
“I know the history of this place, and I really look forward to spending time with all the great people,” Campbell said.
Retaining Terry Smith
University president Neeli Bendapudi made sure to mention interim head coach Terry Smith for his contributions throughout the back half of the season, as well as his continuation on staff following the hiring of Campbell.
“Importantly, a very special thank you to coach Terry Smith. Thank you for stepping up and showing us what true dedication to Penn State and to our student athletes looks like,” Bendapudi said. “I am truly proud to have you as a Penn Stater today.”
Campbell’s ties to Smith date back to his time as head coach at Toledo, where he recruited players from nearby Gateway High School in western Pennsylvania when Smith was head coach there.
He spoke highly of the character of Smith’s players and said it was his idea to retain the long-time Penn State coach on staff. It’s unclear exactly what Smith’s role will be, but he’ll reportedly be the highest-paid non-coordinator in college football on his new four-year deal.
“He’s the cornerstone of this program as a player — as a student-athlete — and now as an incredible football coach, and it is my honor to work hand-in-hand with Terry to build on this great foundation moving forward,” Campbell said.
Promises made
Campbell didn’t shy away from making bold proclamations about the program. He called it his responsibility to take Penn State to “the greatest heights it’s ever seen.”
“I know what I’m inheriting. I know what my responsibility is,” Campbell said. “And to be honest with you, to link arms with every one of our lettermen, our former players, and to unify this football program into the greatest football power in the country, I can’t wait for that opportunity.”
Campbell made similar claims at Iowa State, promising and delivering on the greatest era of Cyclone football in its 133-year history. Campbell referenced Penn State’s large fanbase and elite Beaver Stadium gameday environment, pledging to deliver an on-field product that matches the support level.
In addition to athletic success, Campbell talked about academics, citing success at Iowa State. He said he had 100 players with a 3.0 or higher grade-point average, and 54 with a 3.5 or better mark last season.
“You know when that showed? When it got really hard, when it got really tough in the fourth quarter and after a tough loss, our ability to respond was because of our young men’s ability, how they did anything is how they did everything,” Campbell said.
The motivational messaging continued, with Campbell echoing many traditional Penn State values. His blue-collar background showed through as he described his plan for the team moving forward, beginning with practice later on Monday.
“From this day forward, we’re going to wake up every single day in this football program, and we’re going to build championship habits, and we’re going to do it one day at a time, and we’re going to do it from the ground up, and we’re going to do it in a football program that’s going to demand toughness, mental and physical toughness, demand discipline at every corner, and demand, most importantly, selflessness and togetherness,” Campbell said. “One team, one program, unified to continue the great pride in the great tradition of Penn State football.”
Recruiting philosophy
Campbell, who epitomized doing more with less in recruiting at Iowa State, averaged classes in the 50s. With the Nittany Lions, he reportedly has an NIL budget of $30 million, among the nation’s best, enabling increased recruiting success.
But for Campbell, he doesn’t want financial incentives to be the driving factor in his staff’s recruiting plan.
“I think sometimes in college football, we can get lost on the financial piece of it,” Campbell said. “I think it’s important, absolutely, but I think the reality of it, that cannot be priority No. 1. I want young men that want to be here at Penn State and want to win championships at Penn State, and it’s got to start there.”
Campbell also called the region within a 6-8 hour radius the “most fertile ground of excellence in high school football” and said no school would “attack” Pennsylvania and the surrounding states more than his staff.
The team will use the transfer portal to supplement the existing roster, Campbell said, referencing his success with wide receiver Jayden Higgins — a two-star recruit who transferred to Iowa State and became the No. 34 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft — and Jalen Travis, the No. 2,694 overall recruit who transferred from Princeton and became a fourth-round pick.
“We have a process,” Campbell said. “We know what we’re looking for in the transfer portal. We’re going to have to use that to continue to supplement our football team, but nobody will be better at developing their student-athletes and high school football players better than us. We’ve proven that every step of the way.”
