No coach has ever lost their introductory press conference.
That’s why it may be better to judge when, not if, a coach started to win their introductory.
For Matt Campbell, it was when he started remembering some guys, the age-old practice of rattling off names from a team’s past.
It was a signifier to Penn State that he appreciates the opportunity that is sitting in front of him as the newest head coach of the Nittany Lions football program, and maybe that’s just what Penn State needs.
“This young boy that grew up in Massillon, Ohio and all you heard about was Todd Blackledge,” Campbell said on Monday. “You understood his excellence and what he stood for.”
Of all of the Penn State football players to mention first, Blackledge was a bit of a surprise. He is, of course, one of two Penn State quarterbacks to win a national championship. But of a list of players someone who is 46 would be asked to rattle off about Penn State, Blackledge wouldn’t come first. He might not make the top 10.
However, because of his connection to roots – his father coached high school football against Blackledge in Ohio – Campbell found his love of football.
It was also the first of many name-drops in the 20-minute speech and longer conversation with the media, each one as impressive as the next.
At one point, Campbell mentioned Kyle Brady and how he was a role model for him as a tight end prospect in high school. But at Mount Union, Campbell never played tight end, but rather defensive line.
There was a mention of Courtney Brown and of Kerry Collins. Matt Millen and Jack Ham – who may be more obvious names of Penn State lore – and even more modern names like Saquon Barkley were also mentioned.
Campbell spent much of the conversation on Monday showing appreciation, not just for the opportunity that stands in front of him, but for the place of giving that opportunity and the players who built that.
“I walked into Lasch yesterday, and this incredible lettermen wall, 2,200 names. You could almost feel goosebumps going down the side of your arms looking at some of these incredible names,” Campbell said. “Some of the best, Jack Ham. Some of the best ever to play the sport of football. You knew their excellence and what they stood for, a blue-blood football program. No question.”
Penn State has always embraced its own. It always will.
But Penn State has been – at least in the wake of firing James Franklin – searching for something to hold on to because it only had frustration to embrace of late.
For a brief period of time, many placed their hands around Terry Smith, the interim coach and a former player himself. And while the story didn’t end fully in a fairytale for Smith – who will remain on Campbell’s staff as the highest-paid non-coordinator assistant in college football – it may not be what Penn State needs right now.
This is a program truly ready to take a new step forward. It’s a program that has been stuck in a perpetual spot over the last 10 years. It’s also a program that needs someone with a clear vision of how to win a national championship. Campbell, according to athletic director Pat Kraft, has the ability for just that.
However, above all, Penn State may be in need of someone who appreciates Penn State for what it is.
That had been missing around Penn State football leadership this season and once that was lost, it was time to make a change.
On Monday, Campbell corrected that. He offered a new, refreshing tone by showing that appreciation – even if he admitted he’d never been to Penn State before.
There was no need to sell Penn State. There was no catch-phrase. There was no politicking. There was no grandstanding.
There was honest appreciation for a job like Penn State.
And by recognizing the players that have made Penn State what it is, Campbell showed he’s ready to embrace the role.
“I know what I’m inheriting and what my responsibility is,” Campbell said. “To be honest with you, to link arms with every one of our lettermen, former players, and to unify this football program into the greatest football power in the country, I can’t wait for that opportunity.”
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