Can Matt Campbell build a title contender at Iowa State? | Yahoo Sports College Podcast
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde discuss Matt Campbell’s extension with Iowa State and debate if he will be able to build a title contender in Ames.
Video Transcript
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DAN WETZEL: The other sort of news of the week, and I do think it's interesting, is Iowa State extended Matt Campbell until 2028. Obviously, a massive deal. I thought, maybe, some of the coverage of it was a little bit much. It was like Matt Campbell is going to be in Ames till 2028. Eh. Maybe? I hope-- I kind of hope he is. But if Michigan comes calling next year, if Notre Dame comes calling in x number of-- you know, like, I don't know if anybody comes calling.
But I would say this, and kind of concert with college basketball, you know, I'd like to see a guy like Matt Campbell stay and build and somehow the recruiting process in college football spread out in a way that allows more talent to go to different places. We've-- certainly, this is a subject we talk to a lot.
You look at college basketball. All the main schools aren't doing very well this year, but there are these really solid programs that have stepped up. And it's like, it took a long time for Scott Drew to get Baylor to be really good. It took a long time for Fran McCaffrey to get Iowa really good. Or obviously, Gonzaga and some of the other schools that are having their big moment this year, if-- if you don't just have two years or three years to build something, but 8, 10, 12, 14, what could Iowa State be, you know, if Matt Campbell actually stays until 2028? I think we would really get a chance to see.
PAT FORDE: My thoughts in three words, Dan. Hooray for Ames.
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Good for Iowa State, you know? That's-- look, as you said, it doesn't really guarantee anything. And in sports media and otherwise, we like to use the phrase, you know, Matt Campbell got locked up till 2028. He's not locked up.
You know, it would be great if he stays. I agree that that would be the kind of thing that college football needs. And that's-- look, we've all sat here and lamented that it's just repetitiveness of Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma. Can we please get some new blood in there?
Well, Iowa State can be new blood. You know, they had a very good season this last year. They were the Big 12 regular season champion, I guess, if they had awarded a Big 12 regular season championship. They had the best record. And they gave Oklahoma a good game in the Big 12 title game.
So what he's done is really impressive. And as you said, you pointed out, Scott Drew was there-- has been at--
DAN WETZEL: Baylor.
PAT FORDE: --Baylor for 16 years. Mark Few's been at Gonzaga for two decades. You know, you get those guys that are gifted coaches that can stay at a place and build a place. Well, maybe football can have some of that. It would be great if it did. I just think it would help the sport significantly.
PETE THAMEL: I thought it was kind of a funny full circle thing watching the Super Bowl on Sunday and watching, like, Patrick Mahomes running scared for his life. The last time he lost by more than a score in a football game was against Iowa State in Ames Mahomes' senior year. I believe the final was 66 to 10.
And that was amid Matt Campbell's first year, which I believe was 3 and 9. It wasn't any better than 4 and 8, but I believe was 3 and 9. But that was kind of like-- early in a tenure, a lot of coaches will tell you, when they're trying to rebuild a program, like, you need that one win that everyone can rally around.
And look, at the fact that a bad Iowa State team was able to beat a mediocre Tech team the way that they did was one of the real signals of hope that it was going to work for Campbell. So now-- you know, and I think that was '15. So you fast forward now six years later, Mahomes is clearly the next transcendent star in the NFL.
And Campbell's like-- like the promise of that day has really shown up. And really the best compliment to him and one of the reasons why I don't think in his heart-- Matt Campbell's kind of an old school principal. The guy went to D3. I don't think he could leave at this point when Breece Hall, Brock Purdy, Rose on the D line, Charlie Kolar, the tight end, all Greg Eisworth, defensive back.
All these guys say they're coming back. Like, I don't think Matt Campbell could have done that. And I also don't think, like, he could have gone to Texas and played those guys. Like, I do think is there's a part of him-- again, he's going to leave there. I want to be very clear about that. He's going to probably leave there in the next few years, and he is going to go to a place that he can turn into a national contender. But one of the most exciting offseason storylines for me this year is how Iowa State has to be considered in a playoff contention group.
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