Annual Matt Campbell in demand - 2020 version

I'm preparing for him to leave, but for some reason I'm not worried about it. I think he's just a different dude. And I think he has the perfect model in Iowa City of a guy who put off other offers, stayed put, built a program, made more money than he could ever want, and has unending job security. And if he needs a testimonial on taking a "better job" with a team that is fundamentally broken, I know a guy from Ames he could chat with.

I can appreciate some of these guys are competitive and would love to be the guy to "turn around" a program. But for every example of a big name school getting turned around, there are a dozen failed attempts. They will give you 2-3 years and run you off. You won't have the time and patience to restore those wrecks.

The list is sizable on this stuff. Guys like Rich Rod, Charlie Strong, Steve Sarkisian, Derek Dooley, Butch Jones, Kevin Sumlin, Jim McElwain, etc. All guys who tried the bigger, better job and didn't make it more than 3 years. Seems like Harbaugh, Helton, Herman and Frost aren't too far from that list. Hell, even guys James Franklin and Ed Orgeron can't have one bad year without people calling for their firing.

He's built up years and years of goodwill here. He can afford some ebbs and flows. I just don't know why you'd want to give that up for a job where you have zero goodwill and fans and an administration with no patience.

I think along your lines. I hope he builds a Ferentz-type career here in Ames. We would be fortunate. All of us that have any sense of perspective realize if he stays long-term, he's going to have up and down years and we'll ride the rollar coaster with him being very thankful for the historic gifts he's already given us.

I would not resent him for one second for leaving. There is a special place in most people's hearts for home, and if he leaves for the state of Ohio or the state of Michigan, I get that.

Still, I think he's just different enough from many coaches that maybe, just maybe, he'll stay here for another 10 to 15 years while his children are growing up and not uproot his family. Those things matter a lot. Those of us with young children and families and those of us who lived it, I think, understand the pull that finding the right place to raise your children has on the adults in the family unit. I am not interested in more enticing careers (in some ways) personally, because of the good life my children have enjoyed moving back to central Iowa. I hope Campbell and his family feel well-connected in central Iowa and his children are flourishing. That will probably mean a lot to him and be a big factor.

Enjoy the ride and the name-dropping of Campbell nationally everyone and have faith what will be was meant to be!
 
As expected, Campbell's name is on nearly every potential major coaching opening.





Could Campbell leave this year, anything is possible. But it's fun watching national writers throw out his name for openings that he wouldn't even take a phone call from. If Campbell wasn't interested in Florida State, the Jets, or any other college team last year - why would he even spend 2 seconds considering South Carolina. And to summarize from previous years for the newbies:
1. No, Matt Campbell doesn't have an "agreement in principle" with your school. He doesn't talk to other schools during the season.
2. He is his own agent.
3. He likes it here and has turned down a lot of other opportunities.

I'm even less worried about him leaving this year. I think he'd listen to Michigan but not sure he'd make the jump when he has a potential Top 10 team coming back next year. And if he did, Iowa State is as well positioned to hire the best replacement possible.


Well......let's be honest.

The Jets and Florida State are positions worth passing over.

Especially the Jets.
 
So you are saying thats a no for sure. Because I don’t know anybody who wants to live by their in-laws.

Depends on your coolness factor. My son-in-law frequently alerts us when there's a house for sale in their neighborhood. We're more like friends than family and have watched every Cyclone football game together this year.
 
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It is being reported that if South Carolina hires Shane Beamer as their HC, Jon Heacock is his target to be DC.
All these writers talking about their DC jobs and mentioning Heacock really is “We’ve landed on the moon!” level ****. 95% of schools would dump their DC for Heacock in a second.
 
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The article posted on page 2 calls Texas a lateral move from Iowa state. Ha!

I realized after the last go around that I can't control any of it so I don't even worry about it. There's only two people that matter when they make this decision as a family and because I don't know either of them, it really doesn't matter.
 
It is being reported that if South Carolina hires Shane Beamer as their HC, Jon Heacock is his target to be DC.

Don't forget, when MC took the ISU job he had to convince Heacock to come to Ames because he was happy where he was. This is not someone to jump up the ladder blindly. I'm not worried about Heacock leaving.
MC has shown with his bumping the assistant's pay instead of his own last year that he's loyal to the assistants and i think heacock is the same way. How long have they been together?
 
Lots of great points on why he would stay....I just think we've seen the last 5-7 years, big programs "chasing" coaches (and firing quicky) usually end up with buyouts to pay and no real success movement. Sure, someone could double CMCs pay.....but is it doubled if he's canned in 4 years? And I'm guessing a lot of schools will be careful given budget issues with COVID

This sounds too simple, but CMS has built a culture and it is really on the cusp now (this year's team, returning guys, etc). The next two years could be huge for him and the fruits of his labor could strike!
 
Let's not forget, there is quite a bit of reputational risk Campbell would assume by going to Michigan. If he fails like the last 3 guys, its going to set him back. Look at Rich Rod - he had a great gig at WV, left for Michigan, and it tanked his career.

He left a very good West Virginia job. Got fired at Michigan. Picked up the pieces and landed a below average Arizona job, got fired, was out of football for 2 years, was at Ole Miss for 1 year as OC and is back out of football.

Not saying that would ever happen to Campbell but if you look at the pros and cons of Michigan vs. ISU, it is not as easy of a decision as one would think. Stay at ISU for the next 10 years, earn $40 to $50 million (after more raises and extensions, which will surely come), and control all aspects of the program - basically become Kirk Ferentz. Or jump to Michigan where you are going to be second fiddle in your own division behind Ohio State, where expectations are sky high, and possibly get fired and tank your career. All to be coaching at a "blue blood" where you probably have a slightly higher ceiling to make the CFB than you do at Iowa State.
 
CMC idolizes people like Bill Snyder, which gives me confidence he could be here a long time. However, it seems a lot of comments he's made center on the hopes to build something here. I normally wouldn't be afraid of any of those jobs, but should he win the Big 12 Championship this year, would he feel he has finished the job he set out to do?

I think he'll stay, but I have to admit his success combined with a possible opening at Michigan has me slightly more frightened than I've been in the past. I'm not going to let that ounce of fear take away how extremely happy I am with this team and our coach. Great team this year!
 
What's wild....and sorry to bring this into this thread.....was we learned a lot about this stuff with Hoiberg...meaning, nothing is for sure or as it may seem. The fact he listened to U of Minn in like year 2 is nuts....we all would have thought this was the ideal place, we took a risk on him, etc.

But, I truly think CMC is different than most.
 

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