Social media reacts to Penn State hiring Iowa State's Matt Campbell
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Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell is leaving the Cyclones to take over the head-coaching position at Penn State.
Campbell went 72-55 over his 10 seasons as the Cyclones coach. He is 107-70 overall, dating back to his debut season as a head coach in 2011, when he led Toledo to a win in the Military Bowl. He coached four full seasons at Toledo from 2011-15 before coming to Iowa State in 2016.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Friday night that Jimmy Rogers of Washington State will succeed Campbell at Iowa State.
Social media has been abuzz for the last couple of days about the possibility of Campbell going to Penn State. Here’s a sampling of what’s being said:
I’m not going to comment on the process or the long and winding road … but if you told me 50 days ago that Penn State was going to end up with Matt Campbell, I would have told you that’s a huge homerun. Campbell has been asked to consider NFL jobs for a decade and hasn’t left.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) December 5, 2025
Definitely a sad day for Cyclones everywhere… Matt Campbell rejuvenated Iowa State football and made for some memorable moments and seasons. He is also the most down to earth guy. He was always so sweet to my daughter! Hoping for nothing but the best for him and his family. pic.twitter.com/3XvO4ejydp
— Tyler Roney (@TylerJRoney) December 5, 2025
Matt Campbell is a really good hire. And boy did he bail out Penn State from what was looking like an absolute disaster.
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) December 6, 2025
Fact is, you can’t be mad at Matt Campbell. 10 years poured into Iowa State to leave it better than he found it. He stayed well beyond most expectations if we’re honest. Doesn’t make it easier, but Matt Campbell deserves an opportunity at a Top 10 job as Penn State is.
— Jon Schaeffer (@JSchaeffCreates) December 5, 2025
I don’t think people understand Iowa State was the WORST P5 program of ALL-TIME before Matt Campbell arrived.
Before Campbell: (1895-2015)
• .429 Win % ❌
• 0 10-Win Seasons ❌
• 2 AP T25 Finishes ❌
• 10 Seasons in AP T25 ❌
• 3 Bowl Wins ❌IN 119 SEASONS.
During… pic.twitter.com/9FbnxF0yFj
— College Football Report (@CFBReport) December 5, 2025
If this is the end of the Matt Campbell bit, here is a (probably incomplete) list of every job we have tied him to over the years:
UCF
Utah
UCLA
Baylor
Purdue
Arizona
Georgia
Alabama
Michigan
Arkansas
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Penn State
Texas A&M
Washington
West Virginia
Kansas… pic.twitter.com/dFPuqxsldI— Gamblin’ Gauchos 🎙️ (@GamblinGauchos) December 5, 2025
Penn State is still Penn State, it was always going to attract an excellent coach. While success is never guaranteed, Matt Campbell certainly fits that description. Fans should be excited.
Lot of wishful thinking out there that Penn State had botched this beyond repair.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) December 5, 2025
The Penn State AD getting Matt Campbell after all that pic.twitter.com/ej4F09ytix
— Pregame Empire (@PregameEmpire) December 5, 2025
Dear Matt Campbell,
Please don’t take the Penn State job.
Sincerely,
Ames— Barstool ISU (@BarstoolISU) December 5, 2025
Thank you, Matt Campbell. 🥺
• Most wins in Program History
• First New Years Six Bowl Win
• Best Single Season in ISU History
• 16 Players to the NFL pic.twitter.com/GpauY8lBlI— 𝙄𝙤𝙬𝙖 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (@IowaStateNation) December 5, 2025
Unbelievably thankful for what Matt Campbell did for our program. He raised the standard and is one of the only coaches who can genuinely say he left the program better than when he got it. Can’t believe it ended this way but this man deserves a statue in Ames. pic.twitter.com/EgPLa2aD9v
— Commander Purdy (@CyClone501st) December 5, 2025
Mood.
Thank you Matt Campbell for reviving Cyclone football. pic.twitter.com/cR6NsX5IhJ
— Cyclone Dave (@CycloneDave69) December 5, 2025
Matt Campbell is a great and long overdue hire for Penn State. I have no idea if it will work out. pic.twitter.com/IqFMVpPLcV
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 6, 2025
BREAKING: Penn State and Matt Campbell have reached an agreement, per Yahoo Sports’ @RossDellenger.
The deal is expected to put him among the top 10 highest-paid college coaches. pic.twitter.com/47GkBsBxam
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 6, 2025
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Social media reacts to Penn State hiring Iowa State’s Matt Campbell
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