Matt Campbell leaves Iowa State, Jimmy Rogers takes over

AMES — As it became increasingly likely that Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell would be leaving to accept the Penn State job, the Cyclones’ athletics director, Jamie Pollard, had one simple, but important fast-paced plan to implement.

“When Matt and I talked about it, I just said, ‘Matt, I’ve gotta run a parallel process, because I’ve got a responsibility to the young men in that room and to our fan base, and to Iowa State University,” Pollard said Friday evening after a team meeting.

So while one door closed in the form of Campbell’s wildly successful 10-season ISU tenure, another door quickly opened as Pollard offered Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers the Cyclones’ top job, which he swiftly accepted.

Call it serendipity, but it required hard and lightning-speed work. Pollard had met Rogers at an event in Austin, Texas, in 2024, and what he told him made a lasting impression.

“The first time I met him, he was already the head coach at South Dakota State and had already won a (FCS) national championship,” Pollard recalled. “He said to me, ‘How do I become the head coach at Iowa State University?’ And I told him, if you want (that) you’re probably gonna need to go one more level before you can get here — and we stayed in contact.”

Rogers agreed to a six-year contract with the Cyclones, according to a news release. He spent 12 seasons at South Dakota State, guiding the Jackrabbits to the 2023 FCS title and the semifinals in 2024. He spent one season at Washington State, guiding the Cougars to a 6-6 mark, with three of those losses coming to teams currently ranked in the College Football Playoff — a 24-21 setback to No. 6 Ole Miss in Oxford, a 22-20 loss at No, 17 Virginia, and a 24-20 defeat at No. 25 James Madison.

“Iowa State has been one of the nation’s top programs for the last decade and we look forward to building upon its upward trajectory,” Rogers — who will be formally introduced as ISU’s head coach in a Monday press conference — said in a news release. “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Jamie Pollard has given me to lead the Cyclones.”

Campbell, meanwhile, became Penn State’s 17th head coach while agreeing to an eight-year deal to lead the Nittany Lions' program. He went 72-55 at ISU, becoming the school’s winningest head coach, and leading the Cyclones to their first 11-win season, two Big 12 title game appearances, and a first-ever New Year’s Six Bowl win over Oregon in the 2021 Fiesta Bowl.

“Iowa State university needs to put a statue up of Matt Campbell at some point in time in the future, because he did more for Iowa State football than anybody ever has,” Pollard said. “And although it’s disappointing that he’s leaving, it’s not my right to decided what is right for Matt Campbell and his family at this point in time.”

It’s unclear how many — if any — of Campbell’s staffers will remain in Ames. Pollard said he spoke with offensive coordinator and rising star in the coaching ranks, Taylor Mouser, earlier on Friday.

“I think the world of him,” Pollard said. “He is gonna be a great (head) coach someday, and we met this morning, first thing, and talked through what it would be like if he was the head coach, and we met later today. This reminds me of when I had to tell (ISU men’s basketball head coach) T.J. (Otzelberger) we weren’t hiring him (in the 2015-16 season). And if T.J. were standing here right now, he would tell you as hard as that hurt — and it hurt, because T.J. and I are very close. I’m the closest with him of any of our coaches. That was really, really hard for me to do back them, but if T.J. was here today, he’d tell you the reason he was having the success he is today is because of what he learned about being a head coach by going to South Dakota State and UNLV.

“In the end, that’s what I told Taylor: ‘You’re gonna be a head coach someday, and you’re gonna be a really good head coach, but to thrust you into that spot right now, is gonna be a disservice to both you and Iowa State, because you don’t even know what you don’t know until you’re actually the head coach or you’re the athletics director. There (are) some places you can learn that on the fly, but you can’t take a (Power) Four job, following Matt Campbell, and learn on the fly.”

Pollard added that an interim coach will eventually be named for the Cyclones’ bowl game — which he said they intend to play. He also got emotional when asked about what Campbell meant to his athletics program. ISU’s ascended to previously undreamed of heights during his 10 seasons at the helm — and put Penn State fans on notice regarding what he expects Campbell to do in Happy Valley, with one big caveat attached.

“If Penn State lets Matt Campbell be Matt Campbell, got out of the way, people,” Pollard said. “Look out, Ohio State, because he’s gonna run you over. But Penn State needs to let him be Matt Campbell. And what him successful at Iowa State is we let him be Matt Campbell. And I hope, if anybody from Penn State’s listening, let the man be Matt Campbell, and you will not regret that you hired him, but if you mess with him, you won’t have the success.”

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