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Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard fought back tears when talking about Matt Campbell leaving the school to take Penn State’s head coaching job.
Pollard, 60, said he was sad but that Campbell does not owe Iowa State anything.
“You’re sad. But, you know what, I get it,” Pollard told 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 in Ames, Iowa, 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.
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, 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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