Matt Millen Says Penn State Hit a 'Grand Slam' in Hiring Matt Campbell

During Penn State's eight-week coaching search, former Nittany Lion Matt Millen texted occasionally with Athletic Director Pat Kraft, making suggesting and offering references. When he heard that Kraft had hired Iowa State's Matt Campbell as Penn State's new football coach, Millen sent a congratulatory text.

"I said, 'Look, Pat, you don't know this yet, but you just signed probably the best guy you could get,'" Millen said. "You hit a grand slam."

Penn State introduced Campbell on Monday at a press conference in which the Nittany Lions' new coach became emotional discussing the program's history and his connection to it. Millen has become one of those important people from Penn State who influenced his career.

They met when Campbell was the head coach at Toledo from 2012-15 and Millen was a broadcast analyst for ESPN. Millen did several Toledo games and found Campbell to be an engaging coach with a deep mind for the game and a connection with his players. He also appreciated Campbell's grounded approach.

"Matt can walk into any town with his baseball hat on and have a conversation with anybody about football or anything about life in general," Millen said. "Matt is just so down to earth. That's the first part. That's the first piece about about him that I really loved. He's just a regular guy.

"The second thing is, his Xs and Os are really good, and he knows how to develop kids. And so he's going to get a higher-grade kid now [at Penn State], but he just has a way of developing guys. He can take players from A to B and elevate them, which is not easy to do. Some guys have it, some guys don't. He does."

Matt Campbell is announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Millen became a sounding board for Campbell, who at Toledo was a head coach in his early 30s seeking advice from everyone. Millen also became a mentor, Campbell said.

"Matt is open. He’s always been really open with me," Campbell said. "My respect for Matt, his football knowledge of being a GM [with the Detroit Lions] and playing … his unwavering love for Penn State football, it was really good to get perspective. Anytime you’re coming into a new situation, you’re just trying to gain perspective. I know Matt will be a great resource for me every step of the way."

Millen began pitching Campbell to his circle of football contacts while Campbell was still at Toledo. He then watched as Campbell became the winningest football coach in Iowa State history.

"I would tell people that there's a kid in Toledo who's doing a lot with a little," Millen said. "And then when he came up in the [Penn State] search, I said, 'Oh my God, that's a home run.' I texted Pat and said, 'Hey, Matt Campbell, go get him. Don't hesitate.' And he said, 'Yeah, I'm on it,' and got it done."

Millen called Campbell a football teacher who also understands how to build rosters. "He's good at putting pieces together," Millen said.

He also said that Campbell's teams were impressive because his players played "fast and mistake-free." Why Campbell lasted so long at Iowa State has intrigued Millen for the past few years.

"It's not like people haven't tried [to hire him]," Millen said. "I think he was just comfortable in Ames and wasn't going to make a move until he felt good about the spot."

Asked how he expects Campbell to do at Penn State, Millen pointed to the coach's ability to recruit and develop at Iowa State and how he'll have more resources to do that in State College.

"I think he'll do really well," Millen said. "He'll get his kind of kids. Some of those kids are already up there. The kinds of kids he likes, to me from watching his games, are smart, tough kids. He's not the first coach who likes that type of kid, but he'll have more access to the type of kid he likes [at Penn State] than he has had. He's also going to have a budget that he's never had."

A view of the scoreboard at Beaver Stadium as Matt Campbell is announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new football coach. — A view of the scoreboard at Beaver Stadium as Matt Campbell is announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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