The firing of Penn State head coach James Franklin sent seismic shockwaves through the college football world over the weekend. After an objectively successful tenure with the Nittany Lions, this started to go sideways this year, with three straight losses, two of which came as a three-touchdown or more favorite.
The attention has now turned to which head coach from a major program is on Penn State’s radar or could be the next head coach. Many names have been in play, but some are more serious than others. Two of the serious names that could take the job happen to be coaching at two of Iowa’s rivals.
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Two early names continuing to bubble to the top of the coaching search list are Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule and Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell.
Matt Rhule is the obvious, easy name to tie to Penn State. Rhule was born in the Northeast in New York and has a ton of ties to Penn State. Rhule attended Penn State and played linebacker for the Nittany Lions while Joe Paterno was the head coach. His wife is also a Penn State alum. Going back home to Penn State makes all the sense in the world for Matt Rhule.
Rhule also hasn’t exactly shut down the move yet, either. He was asked about James Franklin being fired and responded by being extremely complimentary of Penn State, which has since raised some eyebrows.
The second coach who could make the jump to Penn State, which would be a long-overdue jump to a premier program with his success, is Matt Campbell, the head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones.
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Matt Campbell has long been linked to many top jobs that have opened due to what he has built at Iowa State, yet he has chosen to stay with the Cyclones for one reason or another. But Penn State isn’t just any other job opening. It is a top 10-15 college football head coaching job that could come calling.
Campbell is young at just 45 years of age, has the charisma to infuse a new energy into the Penn State program, and has stayed true to himself with a hard-working, blue-collar mentality, something that would play in Happy Valley.
It doesn’t hurt that Penn State has the potential to throw a contract at Matt Campbell that he would he hard-pressed to say no to. He currently makes $5 million in total compensation per year at Iowa State after recently signing an extension through 2032. Penn State paid James Franklin $8 million per year. They have the buying power to lure Campbell away if they want.
Should Penn State come calling after Matt Rhule or Matt Campbell, the ripple effects could hit the Iowa Hawkeyes in their 2025 season finale against Nebraska or when they face Iowa State and Nebraska during the 2026 season.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Could Iowa football see a rival head coach fill Penn State opening?
