Matt Campbell has left Iowa State and has taken the Head coaching job at Penn State according to ESPN.
An October Sports Illustrated article said Campbell turned around the Iowa State Football program 10 years ago and could be a “good option” to replace Penn State’s James Franklin.
As the college football coaching carousel continues to spin, Iowa State fans find themselves as a program losing a head coach. For Iowa State fans, the thought of their program changing head coach being gone is unsettling, but for Hawkeye fans, it could open up different opportunities.
To understand how both sides are reacting, three local fans, 2 Cyclones and 1 Hawkeye, shared their perspective on Campbell and his future and what it means for the future of college football in the state of Iowa.
Brady Wilkening, a lifelong Cyclone supporter, said his connection to the team runs deep because he grew up going to games with his dad.
“I’ve had season tickets since as long as I can remember,” he said.
Wilkening said that because of that history, he values what Campbell has brought to the program, but he understands why he may have chosen to leave.
“Obviously it sucks for the smaller school, losing a great coach that’s had a lot of success, but it makes sense,” he said. “They see a guy who is doing a lot with less resources and opportunities, and they think, what can he do with our resources and our operations?”
However, Wilkening said he believes Ames offered Campbell something deeper than job prestige.
“The culture that he has built — he’s talked about how much he loves it in Ames in different interviews,” he said.
Iowa State losing Campbell, will have a major impact on Cyclone football, according to Wilkening.
“It would be very bad,” he said.
Wilkening said that while a school like Penn State may offer more resources, it also comes with more pressure.
“If you’re not succeeding, you’re out of there, like, real fast,” he said.
Kayden Frank, another Cyclone fan, also has a personal connection to the team.
“I’ve been a fan of Iowa State for a while,” he said. “My dad played at Iowa State, and my whole family’s just been fans.”
Frank thought Campbell’s family would play a role in keeping him in Ames.
“Campbell has two kids in high school right now,” he said, adding that he didn’t think Campbell wanted to uproot them.
With Campbell leaving, Frank recounts the culture and team before Campbell was in Ames.
“Before he came, I went to games just knowing we were gonna lose, and he’s just brought up our culture and team.”
Frank said he doesn’t see a job like Penn State as a major upgrade, saying Campbell already had stability, good pay, and “has built his own culture at Iowa State.”
Hawkeye fan Xavier Bush views the situation through a different perspective. Although he has family members who went to Iowa State, he said he doesn’t root for them. He said with Campbell leaving, he is happy about that as a Hawkeye fan.
“It’d be great for us because I think they’d probably go back down to some mediocrity,” he said.
Still, Bush said he respects Campbell’s coaching ability and believes he will do well.
“Don’t underestimate him,” he said.
Bush said he believes coaches should do what’s best for their careers, even when money makes the playing field uneven.
“If a coach thinks it to be better for his career and a smart move for him,” he said, “then they should, by all means, be able to go where they want.”