Iowa State AD fights back tears after Matt Campbell departs for Penn State coaching job

Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State AD fights back tears after Matt Campbell departs for Penn State coaching job

Campbell coached at Iowa State for 10 seasons

Ryan Canfield Fox News

Published

December 6, 2025 1:00pm EST

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Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard fought back tears when talking about Matt Campbell leaving the school to take the Penn State head coaching job.

Pollard, 60, said that he was sad, but that Campbell does not owe Iowa State anything.

"You’re sad. But, you know what, I get it," Pollard said to reporters Friday. "I’ve done this long enough. These jobs are hard, and we make sacrifices that fans will never understand. We do. And he’s had an amazing run as our football coach, and didn’t get to do it in front of his family and friends. He had other times he could have left, 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 Oct. 25, 2025. (IMAGN)

"Matt Campbell, though, owes Iowa State nothing because he did more than we could’ve ever, ever dreamed he would do as our head coach. So yeah, a page turns. But none of us are here forever. Life goes on, and so that’s how I just viewed it. … the sun will come up in the east, like it does every morning, and we’ll go on."

Penn State announced Campbell as its new head coach on Friday, pending board approval on Monday.

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Iowa State University athletic director Jamie Pollard speaks at a news conference in Ames, Iowa, on Sept. 24, 2019. (IMAGN)

The 46-year-old is the winningest coach in Iowa State history. The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year went 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.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

Iowa State AD fights back tears after Matt Campbell departs for Penn State coaching job