Nick Saban sends strong message on head coach replacing James Franklin at Penn State

Penn State parted ways with longtime head coach James Franklin on October 12, 2025, following a disappointing 3-3 start, with the final straw being a home loss to Northwestern.

Franklin left with an impressive overall 104–45 record since 2014, including multiple 10-win seasons and a Big Ten title, but chronic struggles against elite opponents and inconsistency in big games have undermined confidence in his ability to get Penn State over the hump.

Now, after nearly two months of searching for a new leader, Penn State finally announced its decision on Friday, hiring former Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.

Among the first names to speak out after the news broke was Nick Saban, who spoke on Friday's "The Pat McAfee Show" about the hire.

"I think they're getting a great coach who's proven, on a consistent basis (that he can win). You know, he didn't just win one time. He's won consistently at a place that's not a place that people would recognize as some place you should win all the time (Iowa State). Which I think speaks volumes about the job he does."

"I think Penn State is getting a great coach in Matt Campbell..

He's won consistently at Iowa State"

Coach Saban #PMSLive https://t.co/zkoqt0gGrr pic.twitter.com/T574Mn08qQ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 5, 2025

Campbell has spent the last 10 seasons as head coach at Iowa State Cyclones (since 2016), over which he has amassed a 72-55 overall record.

This season, the Cyclones went 8-4, marking the second straight season with eight or more wins under Campbell.

Under his leadership, the Cyclones had eight winning seasons, two appearances in the Big 12 title game, and a historic 11-3 campaign in 2024, the most wins in school history, capped by a Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over Miami.

Before Iowa State, Campbell led the Toledo Rockets (2011-2015), where he posted a 35-15 record and earned a reputation for re-energizing struggling programs.

Iowa State football head coach Matt Campbell. — Iowa State football head coach Matt Campbell high-five with fans while leading the team to the field before the game against BYU at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After Penn State fired Franklin, the interim role fell to longtime assistant Terry Smith, who went 3-3 and saw the team finish 6-6.

While some players backed him for the permanent job, Penn State opted to cast a wide net instead.

The result was weeks of speculation during which recruiting took a hit as multiple high-level prospects decommitted and only two players signed on Early National Signing Day.

Now that Campbell is locked in, there’s finally a sense of stability in State College.

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