Jon Heacock and Matt Campbell linked up in Campbell’s penultimate season at Toledo in 2014, and the two have been inseparable since. Heacock, a four-time Broyles Award nominee and one-time finalist, served as Campbell’s defensive coordinator for his final two years at Toledo and all 10 seasons at Iowa State.
In the wake of Campbell's hiring, it was reported that Heacock intended to join Campbell at Penn State, with the assumption being that the 65-year-old would remain his defensive coordinator in Happy Valley. The departure of Penn State DC Jim Knowles for Tennessee seemed to confirm that expectation.