Here’s how we graded Penn State head coach Matt Campbell’s first coaching staff

Penn State’s first on-field coaching staff under Matt Campbell is set, with a mix of returners from James Franklin’s last staff, coaches following Campbell from Iowa State and newcomers.

We graded the offensive and defensive coordinators, and did the same with the assistants who will support them this season. Let’s take a look at how we think Campbell did.

Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser

Jon Sauber: B+

This grade not being higher is more about the process than anything else. I understand Campbell wanting to bring his staff and the coaches he believes in — and Mouser is certainly well regarded in the coaching industry — but the offensive coordinator job at Penn State is a high-profile one. It’s the kind of gig that can attract a lot of interest, and I would’ve liked to see an actual interview process play out. That being said, Mouser is indeed Campbell’s guy, and I generally like what his offenses have done at Iowa State, specifically when it comes to how he creates explosive plays. He should find success at Penn State and I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s a head coach soon enough.

Josh Moyer: B

We’re not grading on a curve here. Mouser may boast an incredibly high ceiling, but it’s difficult to grade him higher right now without projecting into the future. He’s 34 years old, making him one of the youngest OCs in the Power Four, and he spent his entire coaching career with Matt Campbell. He’s only in Year 3 as a coordinator.

He’s still learning — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. He showed this past season he can tweak the gameplan and tempo as the opponent warrants, eschewing explosive plays against Kansas for more of a run-heavy plan in a 38-14 win, for instance. He’s not a flashy hire, but he’s a “fit” hire for Campbell. He’s an upgrade over previous OC Andy Kotelnicki, and this grade is more likely to improve than decline.

Bret Pallotto: B Mouser put together two solid yet not great seasons as Iowa State’s offensive coordinator, which is enough evidence for me to believe he’ll be serviceable at minimum in Happy Valley. Perhaps his biggest asset is having worked exclusively under Matt Campbell for more than a decade. If he sticks around more than a season or two, that continuity should only help the Nittany Lions.

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn

Sauber: A-

Penn State chased Lynn prior to Jim Knowles showing real interest last offseason, and for good reason. Sure, his defenses at USC haven’t been amazing, but they also lacked talent in key areas, and he was taking over a unit that was inarguably one of the worst Power Four units in the country. He’s going to lean into scheme versatility and adapting to his personnel — making adjustments on a week-to-week basis. I prefer that over a static defense that doesn’t have any counters once an offense figures it out. Lynn, like Mouser, should be a head coach soon enough, and I firmly believe he’s going to get Penn State’s defense to outperform its talent.

Moyer: A-

I’m clearly not an easy grader because Lynn is a terrific hire. At 36 years old, he’s one of college football’s youngest and brightest defensive minds who’s succeeded at virtually every stop. The main reason I didn’t give him an A is simply because this will be just his fourth year as coordinator, and he’s never spent more than 2-3 seasons with a program — so I’d like to see more sustained success before dishing out higher marks.

But that’s nit-picking. Forget the fact he’s a Penn State alum, although that’s an obvious positive. In 2023, he instantly turned UCLA’s defense from the nation’s No. 87 defense into a top-10 unit. And, when he moved on to USC in 2024, he immediately transformed the laughingstock No. 121 scoring defense into a top-60 defense in back-to-back seasons. I don’t know who should be more excited about Lynn’s homecoming party — Lynn or PSU fans — but this was an incredibly important hire.

Pallotto: C- Lynn engineered a turnaround of USC’s defense in his first season as defensive coordinator, giving up 10 fewer points per game than his predecessor. But progress in his second season was less apparent and the glaring issues the Trojans had against Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon stopped me from giving this hire a better grade.

Offensive assistants

Sauber: B

There’s some good and some room for improvement on offense, but for starters, Noah Pauley is an absolute home run hire at wide receivers coach, as is Savon Huggins at running backs coach. Offensive line coach Ryan Clanton has generally done well in getting the most out of Iowa State’s talent over the last three years, and should do better with more talent at Penn State. But quarterbacks coach is a crucial spot on a staff, and the jury is out on Jake Waters on that front. He’s only been in the role for two seasons, and Rocco Becht had his best season in the year prior to his arrival. It’s possible he could continue to grow as he gains more experience, but I think aiming for a more experienced talent developer at the position might have been the best move.

As far as Mouser as the tight ends coach, I’m conflicted. He’s coached high-level tight ends at Iowa State and can clearly do the job at a high level, but I would’ve liked to see Campbell hire a tight ends coach to focus on the position, allowing Mouser to focus on his role as the OC.

Moyer: B

I’d give OL coach Ryan Clanton and WR coach Noah Pauley both As, while RB coach Savon Huggins and QB coach Jake Waters are more deserving of Cs. So, when you throw that all together, I come out with a solid overall B grade.

Clanton can develop talent and boasts the uncanny ability to blend up-tempo concepts with a physical line. Pauley was named FootballScoop’s WR Coach of the Year in 2024, and he arguably remains the best receivers coach in the country. It doesn’t get better than Pauley, and no Penn State position should see a bigger upgrade on the field.

Waters? The jury’s still out, considering he has just two years as a quarterbacks coach. And I view Huggins as more of a gain in recruiting, as his track record on player development was mixed at Boston College.

Pallotto: B

Campbell’s supporting cast on offense is largely a young group without a huge body of work, but the hiring of wide receivers coach Noah Pauley likely put a smile on the face of Penn State fans who have seen that group vanish far too many times in recent seasons.

Defensive assistants

Sauber: B-

Another good group on defense with a mix of returning coaches and newcomers with ties to Campbell and Lynn. The defensive line room having two coaches is good hiring by Campbell, with Christian Smith handling edge rushers and Ikaika Malloe handling the group as a whole, although they aren’t regarded as among the best in the country at their position. Malloe’s familiarity with Lynn should help and boosts the grade here.

The secondary (unsurprisingly) has two coaches too, with Terry Smith returning as cornerbacks coach and Deon Broomfield following Campbell as safeties coach. Smith is one of the best in the country at coaching corners and Broomfield is seen as a rising star who is on the fast track to be a defensive coordinator before long. The linebackers setup is a more interesting one, with Tyson Veidt joining to coach the group, relegating Dan Connor to being the assistant linebackers coach. There’s a (pretty good) argument that Connor should have gotten the job and setting it up this way opens the door for a good coach to leave sooner rather than later. Overall, this is a good group with some questions about the second level.

Moyer: B+

Like the offensive staff, there are high-grade hires here and not-so-high-grade hires. DL coach Ikaika Malloe should continue the Nittany Lions’ strong reputation on the line, as he was nominated in 2024 for the Broyles Award, given to college football’s top assistant coach. It’s also hard to find fault with the secondary coaches: Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith is beloved in Happy Valley, and safeties coach Deon Broomfield helped develop a turnover-happy defense at Iowa State. (The Cyclones had 31 picks in 2023-2024, eighth-most in the nation over that time.)

EDGE coach Christian Smith still has a lot to prove, and LB coach Tyson Veidt has consistently produced all-conference talent — but isn’t coming off the most awe-inspiring DC tenure at Cincinnati. Overall, this is a solid staff with the potential to be even better.

Pallotto: C Without an obvious standout, I’m not wowed in either direction. Instead, I’m much more interested to see how former interim coach Terry Smith settles back into his role as associate head coach and cornerbacks coach.