Iowa State football coach on TCU’s interest: ‘I’m just worried about our own program’
TCU’s list of targets for its head football coach opening includes Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, sources told the Star-Telegram on Sunday night.
Campbell addressed that report during the Big 12 teleconference on Monday, saying he hasn’t talked with TCU since the job opened Oct. 31 with the school and longtime coach Gary Patterson parting ways.
“I’ve answered this question for a long time,” Campbell said. “I think what my history has said and who I’ve been is exactly what I’ve done in terms of where I’m interested in being and really what I’m interested in doing. We’ve got such a great fan base, such a great program right now at Iowa State and what we’re doing and what we’re building.
“Really, I’m just worried about our program and really nothing else outside of it.”
Asked if it was safe to say he hadn’t talked with anyone from TCU, Campbell said: “Yeah, that’s certainly safe to say.”
Campbell has been linked to a number of jobs in recent years, including at the NFL level. But the 41-year-old has turned down those opportunities to stay at Iowa State. He signed an extension through the 2028 season during the offseason, which is reportedly for $4 million annually plus incentives. The contract includes a $4 million buyout should he leave for another job.
Why would TCU feel it could lure Campbell from Ames?
Well, the school views itself as one of the top jobs in the country. It has shown a willingness to pay coaches — Patterson ranked as the 10th-highest paid coach this season at $6 million annually — and is in one of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country.
“We are very committed to football,” a high-ranking TCU source said.
The source added that the school is in position to pay what is necessary to land whoever emerges as the strongest candidate.
“We’ll do what we need to do when we find the best fit for our program,” the source said.
Several within the coaching industry feel that TCU is a top 20 job in the country, arguably higher depending on the coach.
At 6-3 and 4-2 in Big 12, Iowa State still has a chance to compete for the Big 12 championship next month at AT&T Stadium.
The Cyclones are at Texas Tech on Saturday. They close their season with a home game against TCU on Black Friday Nov. 26.
Campbell, a three-time Big 12 coach of the year, has been with the Cyclones since 2016. They’ve reached bowl eligibility the past five seasons. Last year’s Iowa State team reached the Big 12 championship, falling to Oklahoma, but went on to win the Fiesta Bowl and finish No. 9.
Campbell’s first head coaching job was at Toledo from 2011-15. He reached four bowl games in five years there.
TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati listed his desired credentials for the next head coach, saying he’d prefer a sitting head coach from an offensive background. Campbell checks every box as he was Toledo’s offensive coordinator before becoming its head coach.
Along with Campbell, TCU’s list of known candidates includes SMU’s Sonny Dykes, Louisiana’s Billy Napier, Jackson State’s Deion Sanders, Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and Denver Broncos running backs coach Curtis Modkins. A source said on Monday that TCU’s list also includes Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
A source said Sunday that candidates are beginning to separate themselves but nothing is “imminent” when it comes to landing Patterson’s successor.
Donati said he would like to have the next coach in place by early December with the early signing period for the 2022 class starting Dec. 15.
This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 1:01 PM.
