Why did coach Matt Campbell choose Penn State? See his emotional introduction
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New era of Penn State football
Penn State football has its next coach. Read more about Matt Campbell and what he’ll bring to the Nittany Lions.
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New Penn State football coach Matt Campbell was emotional at times during Monday’s introductory press conference, reflecting on the whirlwind of the past five days and what he called a “full-circle moment.”
When he took the podium, it took a visibly choked up Campbell about 10 seconds to gain his composure before describing himself as “humbled, honored and grateful.”
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Campbell said. “It’s one of the greatest honors of my life and I couldn’t be more grateful to be here.”
The first question from the media after Campbell’s opening statement was about why he chose Penn State and why now. The Massillon, Ohio native said family, Penn State leadership and his personal goals were all factors.
“If we were ever to leave Iowa State, I wanted to go somewhere ... I wanted to finish my career and I wanted to stand for something that’s bigger than Matt Campbell — it’s not about me, but about the players and to represent something bigger than myself, and I found that,” he said.
Throughout his remarks, Campbell also touched on former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, interim head coach Terry Smith, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — who he said offered words of encouragement during the process — his family and more.
He also became emotional when talking about his former staff and players at Iowa State, where he coached for the past 10 seasons.
“In our 10 years, we rewrote history — every single step of the way we wrote history, from 3-9 to the greatest era ever in the history of Iowa State football,” he said.
His full opening statement can be viewed in the video above, and hear his answer about why he chose Penn State below.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 1:58 PM.
