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Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard choked back tears when talking about Matt Campbell leaving the school to take the Penn State head coaching job.
Pollard, 60, said he was sad, but Campbell doesn’t owe Iowa State anything.
“You’re sad. But you know what? I understand,” Pollard told reporters Friday. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. These jobs are hard, and we make sacrifices that fans will never understand. We do. And he’s had an incredible career as our football coach, and he couldn’t do it in front of his family and friends. He had other moments where he could have walked away, and he chose not to.”
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Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the fourth quarter against BYU at Jack Trice Stadium. The game took place in Ames, Iowa on October 25, 2025. (IMAGE)
“Matt Campbell, however, owes Iowa State nothing because he did more than we ever dreamed he would do as our head coach. So yes, a page turns. But none of us will be here forever. Life goes on, and that’s how I just saw it… the sun will rise in the east, as it does every morning, and we will continue.”
Penn State announced Campbell as its new head coach on Friday, pending board approval on Monday.
PENN STATE TO HIRE IOWA STATE’S MATT CAMPBELL AS NEXT HEAD COACH: REPORTS
Iowa State University athletic director Jamie Pollard speaks at a news conference in Ames, Iowa, on Sept. 24, 2019. (IMAGE)
The 46-year-old is the winningest coach in Iowa State history. The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year was 72-55 in 10 seasons with the Cyclones, with eight winning seasons, including this one at 8-4.
Campbell helped lead Iowa State to two Big 12 championship game appearances.
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Prior to coaching at Iowa State, Campbell was the head coach at Toledo for five seasons, where he went 35-15.
Penn State hired Campbell nearly two months after the program fired James Franklin.
