The next coach in our series is Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. His name has been brought up for head coaching jobs in the past at both the college and NFL levels. His team’s performance last season had many raising their eyebrows when he took a less talented team to the Fiesta Bowl and knocked off the Oregon Ducks.
Even more amazing of a performance during the COVID-19 season in which no one got much of an offseason. Brock Purdy and Breece Hall became household names and put the Cyclones into the national conversation. After losing to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 title game, they received a New Years Six bowl game. He is once again being brought into conversations for head coach vacancies.
Let’s take a look at his coaching profile:
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Matt Campbell’s Profile
Experience
- Iowa State head coach (2016-current)
- Toledo head coach (2012-15)
- Toledo OC/OL coach (2010-11)
- Toledo running game coordinator/OL coach (2009)
- Bowling Green running game coordinator/OL coach (2008)
- Bowling Green OL coach (2007)
- Mount Union OC/OL coach (2005-06)
- Bowling Green graduate assistant (2003-04)
Head Coach Record (76-48 Overall)
- 2016: 3-9 (2-7)
- 2017: 8-5 (5-4)
- 2018: 8-5 (6-3)
- 2019: 7-6 (5-4)
- 2020: 9-3 (8-1)
- 2021: 6-5 (4-4)
Campbell has a combined record of 41-33 (30-23) during his tenure at Iowa State. Considering the talent deficit in Ames, that is quite the job. However, this is a coach that has stayed in the midwest for all of his career. It feels like a coach that would do well in that area. He understands the landscape and difficulties of recruiting to Iowa. Especially with schools like Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas State all in the area.
His comments on winning a championship were also very telling as to the mentality of Campbell.
“Not me. That was never my goal,” Campbell said in response to a question about the goal of winning the Big 12 Championship.
“My goal has always been one thing, and that is to become the best version of ourselves that we can become. So you’ve never heard me say that word once, you’ve only heard me talk about becoming the best version of yourself that you can be. And really, my challenge for this year’s team was to become the ‘greatest together’ team in the history of Iowa State football.”
That right there makes it a tough sell for Scott Woodward and the administration. A coach with zero ties or connections to the south and one who says that winning a championship was never his goal. That might work for a head coach in the midwest, but to tell your team and fanbase at LSU? That would get both Campbell and Woodward run right out of town.
Steer clear of Matt Campbell, LSU.
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