Matt Campbell took the Penn State job on December 14 and has watched three assistants leave for lateral roles at Group of Five programs in the past three weeks. None were offered retention packages. The departures—two position coaches and one analyst—represent the smallest staff exodus among Power Four coaching changes this cycle, but the pattern is deliberate: Campbell is clearing the deck rather than inheriting it.
Campbell brought one assistant from Iowa State, defensive line coach Eli Rasheed, who coached under him in Ames for six seasons. The other departures include offensive line assistant Phil Trautwein, who left for a position at Louisville, and tight ends coach Ty Howle, now at Cincinnati. A third staffer, an offensive analyst, took a role at Toledo. All three moves happened within 72 hours of each other in early January, suggesting coordinated timing rather than surprise defections. Campbell has not filled any of the three vacancies.
The holdover question matters because Penn State operates on a $180 million athletic budget, third in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan. The football program generates $140 million in annual revenue, and the university's board has approved a $700 million Beaver Stadium renovation set to begin in 2027. Campbell's contract runs five years at $7 million annually, but his staff budget sits near $8.5 million, below Ohio State's $11 million pool and Michigan's $9.2 million. The question for athletic director Pat Kraft: does Campbell get a budget bump to poach coordinators from the SEC, or does he develop internally and save capital for facility debt service.
Campbell has not named an offensive or defensive coordinator. He runs a 3-3-5 base defense and a tempo-heavy offense that ranked 14th nationally in plays per game at Iowa State this season. His Iowa State defensive coordinator, Jon Heacock, is 62 and has not been contacted about the Penn State job, according to two people familiar with the search. The offensive coordinator role is expected to go to an external hire, likely from the Big 12 or ACC, with a decision expected before National Signing Day on February 5. Penn State signed 22 recruits in the early period, ranking 8th nationally, but lost two four-star commits in the week after Campbell's hiring, both flipping to Ohio State.
The staff churn also affects recruiting operations. Penn State's recruiting budget for 2025 is $4.2 million, up from $3.8 million in 2024, but still trails Ohio State's $6.1 million and Michigan's $5.3 million. Campbell has retained two recruiting staffers but dismissed the director of player personnel, a role that coordinates official visits and NIL liaison work. The vacancy creates a gap during the spring evaluation period, when Power Four programs typically conduct 40-60 in-home visits. Penn State's NIL collective, Success With Honor, raised $12 million in 2024, but lacks a centralized database for tracking donor engagement—a technical gap that has frustrated Campbell's staff in early meetings with Kraft.
The coordinator hires will signal budget intent. If Campbell promotes from within—keeping assistant salaries in the $500,000 to $700,000 range—it suggests Kraft is prioritizing facility debt and the stadium project. If he poaches from the SEC or Big Ten, paying $1.2 million to $1.5 million per coordinator, it means the board has approved a supplemental allocation. The decision will clarify whether Penn State is competing for a playoff spot or managing margin expectations during a capital-intensive decade.
Watch for coordinator announcements before February 5, when early signees can still flip during the regular signing window. Campbell is scheduled to meet with Success With Honor's donor board on January 28, where NIL infrastructure and staffing support will be discussed. The athletic department is also evaluating whether to add a chief of staff role, a position that exists at Ohio State, Alabama, and Georgia but not yet at Penn State. That hire would cost $250,000 to $350,000 and come from the existing staff budget unless Kraft secures incremental funding.
Campbell has 11 days until National Signing Day and no offensive coordinator. The Beaver Stadium renovation begins in 18 months.
The takeaway
Campbell cleared three Penn State assistants but hasn't filled coordinator roles; budget allocation signals whether the program chases SEC talent or manages renovation debt.
penn statecoaching hiresbig tenstaff budgetrecruitingnil
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