With Matt Campbell at Penn State, Jimmy Rogers and Terry Smith get new roles; Iowa makes move
Matt Campbell's hiring as Penn State coach ended the Nittany Lions' two-month search to find James Franklin's successor
Matt Campbell's hiring as Penn State coach ended the Nittany Lions' two-month search to find James Franklin's successor. In the ripple effect, two other coaches, Jimmy Rogers and Terry Smith, have gotten new jobs.
Campbell comes to Penn State after a stellar 72-55 record, over 10 seasons, at Iowa State. The terms of his contract are expected to be out after a committee of the Board of Trustees meets.
“Coach Campbell is, without a doubt, the right leader at the right time for Penn State football,” athletic director Pat Kraft said in a statement. “He is a stellar coach with a proven track record of success and his values, character and approach to leading student-athletes to success on and off the field align perfectly with the traditions and values of Penn State.”
The new coach's focus will now be on improving the Nittany Lions' season. The school, ranked No 2 in the AP poll at the start of the season, was reduced to 0-3 in Big Ten play when Franklin was fired.
Terry Smith staying at Penn State
Smith led the Nittany Lions on an interim basis. As Campbell's hiring was speculated, it was reported that several schools, including UConn and Memphis, showed interest in him.
Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports on Friday reported that Smith will retain his job as assistant head coach. “Sources: Penn State will retain interim HC Terry Smith on Matt Campbell’s staff. Smith entertained interest from both UConn and Memphis, but his deep-rooted connection to Happy Valley and the Nittany Lion program informed his decision to stay. I’m told current Penn State players were just informed of the decision as well in an 8:00 EST all-hands meeting," Schultz posted on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Jimmy Rogers gets a new job
Meanwhile, Iowa moved on to Jim Rogers to fill the void left by Matt Campbell’s departure. The Washington State head coach was announced as the new leader of the Cyclones program.
The university confirmed that Rogers, 38, has committed to a six-year contract.
Before taking over at WSU, Rogers built his reputation at South Dakota State, where he served as head coach for two seasons and helped elevate the Jackrabbits into a consistent FCS powerhouse.
