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Penn State football reviews coaching debut history ahead of season opener

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 2, 2026, 3:02 PM

Last updated Sep 2, 2026

Penn State football reviews coaching debut history ahead of season opener

Summary

As Matt Campbell prepares for his first game as head coach of Penn State this Saturday, the program reflects on the historical results of its coaching debuts since 1950. The Nittany Lions have turned to a new full-time leader only five times in the last 76 years. Previous inaugural games featured mixed outcomes, ranging from the 1966 victory against Maryland under Joe Paterno and the 1950 win against Georgetown under Rip Engle to the 2014 last-second victory over UCF in Dublin. In 2012, Bill O’Brien opened his tenure with a 24-14 loss to Ohio despite holding a halftime lead. The upcoming debut for Campbell represents the latest chapter in a series that stretches back through the tenures of Franklin, O’Brien, Paterno, and Engle.

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By the Numbers

•Matt Campbell makes his debut as Penn State head coach this Saturday.
•James Franklin opened the 2014 season with a win against UCF in Dublin.
•Bill O’Brien lost his first game as head coach to Ohio in 2012.
•Joe Paterno debuted with a 15-7 victory against Maryland in 1966.
•Rip Engle won his first game at the helm against Georgetown in 1950.

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3:02 PMYahoo Sports — Lion Tales: Season Openers

What they're saying

"
Welcome back to Lion Tales, a weekly historical look at Penn State football. Marshall and Penn State have played twice – with the Lions holding a 2-0 edge in the series with both games being played in 1929 and 1930 respectively. So, we’ll skip any recap of just how those games went, though that 1930 […]
— Yahoo Sports

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