Penn State is turning its coaching search toward Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, multiple reports suggested on Thursday night.

The “shift” in focus comes after the Nittany Lions’ previous person of interest — BYU coach Kalani Sitake — chose to remain in his current role as head coach of the Cougars.

Penn State is in talks with Campbell over its head coaching vacancy after the program fired James Franklin on Oct. 12 , a day after an embarrassing 22-21 loss to Northwestern, with the talks being described as being early in the process, according to ESPN .

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, left, yells from the sidelines during the second half of an NCAA college football game against TCU, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. AP

Whoever Penn State hires will require b

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