Iowa State Cyclones' Matt Campbell Still Seen as a Top Choice for High-Profile Job

Would head coach Matt Campbell leave the Iowa State Cyclones?

Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the fourth quarter against BYU at Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are trying to snap a three-game losing streak in Week 10, but the program likely has some rising concerns about the long-term outlook of their head coach. 

Even though the Cyclones might be known more as a basketball program than a football program, that has started to change a bit in recent years, since coming to the program, Matt Campbell has really helped change the culture for Iowa State. 

Campbell is now in his 10th season with the program and has been able to make a bowl game seven times so far. The Cyclones also got a crack at a Big 12 title last year, which is something that is a significant goal for the program. Unfortunately, they came up short against the Arizona State Sun Devils, but it was a significant step in the right direction. 

Even though the 2025 campaign might be a little bit of a disappointment for Iowa State, there is no denying that Campbell has changed things immensely for the team. Adam Rittenberg of ESPN recently spoke about Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell, who is still a good option for the Penn State Nittany Lions’ coaching vacancy. 

Would Campbell Leave Iowa State?

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

There are certainly some high-profile jobs that are available with a slew of coaches being fired this year. In the SEC, the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators jobs are certainly going to be appealing for coaches, but in the Big 10, the Penn State job has a lot of allure as well. 

Even though James Franklin may have never been able to win the big games for the Nittany Lions, they have had successful campaigns in recent years and the support from the school is certainly there. 

For Campbell, he has been mentioned in coaching rumors quite a bit over the last several years, but has stayed with the program that he has helped build in the Big 12. However, the Penn State job would be very appealing and Campbell has some roots in the area being from nearby Ohio, and starting his coaching career at Toledo. 

The Nittany Lions would be able to provide him with a lot more than Iowa State can from a financial standpoint and it will be interesting to see if this is potentially a job he would consider. With a couple of other options already off the board, the Nittany Lions might start to ramp up their pursuit of a new coach.