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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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Penn State, after more than 50 days of looking for the program's next head coach, is close to hiring Iowa State's Matt Campbell as the program's next leader.
According to Pete Nakos of On3, the Nittany Lions are in the final stages of negotiations to name Campbell as the next head coach.
More news: Penn State Shifts Focus to Big 12 Coach as Talks Begin: Report
Read More on NCAA
Penn State was one of the first big programs to fire its head coach during the season, yet it has been one of the last to name the replacement.
Former head Coach Jame Franklin, who spent more than 10 years at the school, was fired after losing three straight games to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern.
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Campbell has been a mainstay with the Cyclones since joining them back in 2015 after a successful stint with Toledo. He has led the program to a 72-5 record over his 10 seasons at the helm with only two losing seasons.
He has done well at a school that had six straight losing seasons before he arrived at Iowa State, though Campbell is stepping into a whole new world at Penn State.
Penn State is one of the biggest schools in the nation, and the decision-makers have lofty expectations for the program. They boast a good deal of NIL money and a natural recruiting advantage.
Campbell will get the ability to wield this newly found recruiting power for the first time in his career, but he will need to deal with national champion expectations, a new challenge for the coach.
While he is seemingly poised to capture the job, Campbell was far from the only candidate. Interim head coach Terry Smith was among the names considered after he led the team to the last three games of the season to capture a bowl. He helped steer the team during a tough time and has spent a decade with the Nittany Lions as a coach.
Additionally, BYU's Kalani Sitake was reportedly the target of the coaching search until he signed a long-term extension with his current team.
Penn State alum Matt Rhule was also linked to the opening, though he reaffirmed his commitment to Nebraska.
For more college football news, head to Newsweek Sports.
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