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A new era has started in the Penn State Nittany Lions football program.
The school hired Matt Campbell as its new head coach after he spent 10 years with the Iowa State Cyclones, turning them from a 3-9 team to a school that made seven bowl appearances after going four years without making one.
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Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from the field during the Penn State Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa., on April 25, 2026. (Matthew O’Haren/Imagn Images)
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who transferred to Penn State from Iowa State, talked Wednesday about how Campbell will be able to change the culture within the program.
“He wants to build a player-led program,” he told ESPN. “When you’re not all aligned with the same goals and expectations, you’re not going to win those big games. … Last year, it wasn’t really player-led and the culture just wasn’t always there.
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Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht reacts during the Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa., on April 25, 2026. (Matthew O’Haren/Imagn Images)
“Right now, where we are, everyone is completely bought in.”
Campbell is taking over for James Franklin, who was with Penn State for 12 years before he was fired in the middle of the 2025 season as the team lost three games in a row, including an upset loss to unranked UCLA when the team was ranked seventh in the nation.
Terry Smith took over for Franklin and helped salvage the season with a Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson.
Now, with a new head coach, new quarterback and a 12-team College Football Playoff, the excuses for the Nittany Lions to not make it to the postseason are running out.
Penn State made the College Football Playoff in 2024, but lost to Notre Dame in the semifinals. It was the team’s only CFP appearance.
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell answers questions from the media following the Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa., on April 25, 2026. (Matthew O’Haren/Imagn Images)
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The team last won a national title in 1986.