Nearly two months after firing James Franklin, Penn State’s coaching search has evolved into one of the most chaotic hiring processes in program history.

During that time, the landscape has shifted dramatically. Matt Campbell has risen to frontrunner status. Brian Daboll remains under consideration. Meanwhile, Terry Smith, the interim coach who rescued the season following a six-game losing streak, is now attracting interest from programs unwilling to wait indefinitely for Penn State to reach a decision.

What began as a seemingly conventional search has transformed into a high-stakes scramble. Yet, after weeks of uncertainty, real progress is finally taking shape.

Terry Smith complicates the picture

Thursday evening brought an unexpected complication: Smith is now attracting serious interest from UConn and Memphis, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. These aren’t bottom-tier programs scrambling for warm bodies. UConn just finished 9-3 and lost Jim Mora to Colorado State. Memphis went 8-4 and needs someone after Ryan Silverfield left for Arkansas.

Smith may not be athletic director Patrick Kraft’s headline choice, but inside the football facility, he’s become indispensable. He halted a catastrophic slide, strung together three consecutive wins to salvage the season, revived a struggling offense, and developed redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer into a legitimate contributor. Players describe him as the program’s voice of honesty. Alumni admire him. The fanbase believes in him.

Now other schools are paying attention. If Penn State brings in an external hire, Smith would be the obvious candidate to retain, someone any incoming staff would value. But UConn and Memphis aren’t looking for coordinators or position coaches. They’re searching for head coaches. The longer Penn State deliberates, the greater the risk that Smith accepts an offer elsewhere.

Losing him would be another painful blow in a search cycle that’s already delivered plenty.

Matt Campbell rises to the top

The most significant development emerged late Thursday when Chris Low, Brett McMurphy, and Pete Nakos all confirmed that Penn State has initiated contact with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. The revelation caught much of the college football community off guard.

Campbell has long been regarded as one of the nation’s most accomplished coaches at maximizing limited resources, and according to CBS Sports, he is now closer than ever to determining what he might achieve with the financial backing of a traditional powerhouse.

Campbell’s credentials speak for themselves. A three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, he has compiled a 50-40 record since 2016 at Iowa State, widely considered among the most challenging positions in major college football. The prevailing sentiment among industry observers has remained consistent: Campbell’s true ceiling remains unknown because he has never operated with elite-level talent and infrastructure. Penn State now offers him precisely that opportunity.

Should athletic director Patrick Kraft successfully secure Campbell’s services, it would fundamentally alter the perception of this prolonged search. What has appeared to be a mismanaged process would transform into a late-stage victory. The noise surrounding agent maneuvering and external pressures would dissipate. It would represent the caliber of hire that supporters envisioned when the position first became available in October.

Brian Daboll remains in the mix

Former Giants head coach Brian Daboll remains among Penn State’s primary candidates, though his candidacy generates mixed reactions. His NFL credentials are substantial: All-Pro quarterback development, Super Bowl championships under Bill Belichick, and a national title alongside Nick Saban. However, the college landscape demands proficiency in recruiting, NIL management, and staff assembly, areas where many NFL coaches have historically struggled upon returning to the collegiate level.

Opinion within the industry remains split. Some view Daboll as a program-defining hire. Others consider him a gamble. Regardless of the debate, he continues to be a prominent figure in Penn State’s search.

Where things stand now

Eight candidates have already used Penn State’s interest to secure salary increases elsewhere. Kalani Sitake, Jeff Brohm, Eli Drinkwitz, Curt Cignetti, and Clark Lea have all moved on. The search required recalibration, and Campbell provides exactly that. Smith’s rising profile introduces time pressure. Daboll brings an element of unpredictability.

As Pat McAfee observed earlier this week, Penn State stands one hire and one signing class away from completely rewriting this narrative. Friday may bring resolution, or it may not. With this search, certainty has proven elusive. Yet for the first time since October, there exists genuine direction and a legitimate possibility of a conclusion that fundamentally alters the program’s trajectory.

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