Iowa State Cyclones Should Be Concerned About Nittany Lions' Interest in HC

The Iowa State Cyclones should be concerned about the Penn State Nittany Lions being interested in their head coach.

Nov 16, 2013; University Park, PA, USA; General view of a Penn State Nittany Lions helmet prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

After one of the best signing days in recent memory for the program, the Iowa State Cyclones have some looming concerns all of a sudden about the status of their coach, Matt Campbell. 

It was a strong 2025 campaign for the Cyclones. The program was able to go 8-4, which is a very respectable record, and they will be playing in a bowl game at the end of the month. Even though the team might have wanted to play for a Big 12 title once again, they should be pleased with their performance this year. 

Recently, Campbell and the coaching staff just capped off one of the best early signing days during his tenure with the team. While it will take some time for those recruits to grow and develop, the future is looking bright for Iowa State. 

However, after the good news, a recent report has linked Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions coaching job. This is undoubtedly a prestigious job, and it is a bit surprising that it is still open after the firing of James Franklin early this season. 

Campbell has been with the Cyclones for a very long time now and has helped build something special for the program. Unfortunately for Iowa State, the Nittany Lions could be a team that generates some interest for him. 

Nittany Lions Pose a Threat

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As a very well-respected coach and someone who has turned this football program around, this isn’t the first time that Campbell has been linked to other schools. That is a testament to the job that he has done for the program, making it one of the best in the Big 12 conference. 

However, while he has had a lot of success with the program, the Nittany Lions is a job that he would at the very least have to listen to. Penn State would likely be able to provide him with the ability to bring in some more four and five-star prospects with their financial superiority over Iowa State. 

Furthermore, while he would be able to bring in better players to help create a winning environment there, he would also likely be set to make a lot more money as well. 

With interest from the Nittany Lions, this could also result in the Cyclones looking to extend his contract and provide him with some more money as well. Campbell could use the interest of Penn State to get more out of Iowa State and continue to lead them. Overall, the Nittany Lions should be seen as a real threat to poach the head coach of the Cyclones.