Penn State’s coaching staff rebuild under Matt Campbell is starting to take shape - and the latest addition is a familiar face with deep ties to the new head coach.
Matt Caponi, a longtime Campbell confidant and former Iowa State assistant, has officially joined the Nittany Lions as a senior defensive analyst. His name appeared in the Penn State staff directory on Monday, signaling yet another step in Campbell’s effort to bring trusted voices into his first-year staff in Happy Valley.
Caponi’s resume brings both experience and familiarity. Most recently, he served as the defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach at North Texas, a role he held for parts of two seasons before being let go in November 2024. Prior to that, he spent four years at Iowa State coaching cornerbacks under Campbell, where he helped develop standout defensive back Anthony Johnson Jr. - an All-Big Ten selection who brought physicality and versatility to the Cyclones’ secondary.
But Caponi’s connection to Campbell runs far deeper than just their time in Ames. The two were teammates at Mount Union from 2000 to 2002, where Caponi was an all-conference safety, team captain, and key contributor to a dominant Purple Raiders program that went 55-1 and captured three national championships during his playing days. After graduating, Caponi stayed on as a student assistant in 2004 and then coached linebackers in 2005 - the same year Campbell began his coaching career under legendary Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres.
Their coaching paths diverged after that, but the Mount Union roots remained strong. Caponi carved out a solid résumé, including five seasons at Washington & Jefferson where he coached defensive backs and later served as defensive coordinator, plus stints as a graduate assistant at Pitt and Arizona. He also spent three seasons at West Virginia coaching the secondary, where he worked with future NFL talents like Kenny Robinson and Kyzir White - both of whom earned All-Big 12 honors.
In 2019, Campbell brought Caponi back into the fold at Iowa State, and the two rekindled their coaching chemistry. Now, they’re reuniting once again - this time in the Big Ten, where the stakes are even higher and the margin for error even slimmer.
It’s unclear what Caponi’s exact role was in 2025, but he did surface on social media last February, posting a photo with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni - a fellow Mount Union alum - shortly after the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The photo, which showed Sirianni holding the Lombardi Trophy, was captioned: “Forever grateful for the last two months,” suggesting Caponi may have spent time with the Eagles in some capacity during their championship run.
Caponi and Sirianni go way back. They were teammates at Mount Union for four seasons and later coached together there in 2004 and 2005.
In a 2023 feature, Sirianni credited both Caponi and Campbell as early influences in his coaching journey, saying, “I remember I learned so much from Matt Caponi about coaching. Being around the Kehreses and just in that grind … I guess I thought I'd probably (pursue coaching) but I'd never be as good as those guys.”
Caponi’s first coaching job after Mount Union came at Washington & Jefferson - under Mike Sirianni, Nick’s older brother - further tying together the Mount Union coaching tree that continues to influence football at every level.
Now, Caponi brings that lineage, experience, and trusted relationship with Campbell to Penn State. As Campbell assembles a staff that reflects his values and vision, adding someone like Caponi - who knows the system, understands the culture, and has proven his ability to develop talent - is a move that makes a lot of sense.
The Nittany Lions’ staff is still coming together, but with each new addition, the picture becomes clearer: Campbell is building a program rooted in trust, familiarity, and a shared football philosophy - one that stretches all the way back to the small college powerhouse in Alliance, Ohio.