Penn State football tabbed more than a former Big 12 coach to lead the Nittany Lions. Matt Campbell indeed is taking a huge leap from Ames, Iowa to one of the mecca's of Big Ten football. But Campbell's Keystone State ties will give chills to Nittany Lion fans.
Speaking with Penn State legend Lavar Arrington, Campbell outlined what drew him to State College.
“My grandparents had a huge impact on my life. Grew up in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. My great grandfather ran a coal mine and my whole childhood was there,” Campbell began. “And the reality of it was they were the biggest Penn State fans.”
Campbell added he grew up a PSU fan as the Lions were “three hours from my doorstep.” He included how the Keystone State means a lot to him.
But he's also motivated to “build upon the culture and the expectations plus excellence of the program.” While concluding that he couldn't turn down the chance to lead PSU.
First steps for Matt Campbell at Penn State
The college football recruiting trail rises usually as the first priority for new coaches.
Campbell dished out this recruiting promise at Penn State — bound to energize high schools in the state of Pennsylvania and other local PSU territories.
“You’re in the most fertile ground of excellence of high school football in a six-to-eight-hour radius. Everything will start with building high school football and continuing to do a great job in this state and our surrounding states. Nobody’s going to attack more than us,” Campbell said via Daniel Gallen of 247Sports.
Campbell put together strong classes at ISU despite the smaller city vibe of Ames, and in the shadow of other Big 12 heavyweights. Now he's aiming to throw a net around the “radius” he described to prevent area talent from drifting off.
He'll also need to hit the College Football Transfer Portal hard in building his first Lions roster. But the grandson of a coal miner owner is ready to embrace the blue collar culture of Penn State.
