Iowa State AD Gets Emotional Speaking About Matt Campbell Leaving for Penn State

Matt Campbell's departure from the Iowa State Cyclones left their athletic director in an emotional state.

Olivia Sun, Des Moines Register via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Iowa State Cyclones just closed the book on what was the most successful chapter in the history of their college football program.

After 10 years, head coach Matt Campbell has opted to move on to another challenge. He is leaving Iowa State to become the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

The winningest coach in Cyclones history with 72 victories, Iowa State is going to have some massive shoes to fill on the sidelines. Campbell turned around one of the worst power conference programs in the nation during his time in Ames, leading the team to eight bowl games.

This is a decision that will have a lasting impact on the program. People within the program had to know this day would come eventually; it isn’t the first time that a big-time school has come calling for Campbell, but it is the first that gave him enough of a reason to leave what he built in Ames.

Jamie Pollard gets emotional speaking about Matt Campbell

Olivia Sun, Des Moines Register via Imagn Content Services, LLC

It should come as little surprise that this has been an emotional period for the Cyclones. Athletic director Jamie Pollard spoke about the departure and was emotional when talking about Campbell, saying the head coach doesn’t owe the school anything.

"Matt Campbell owes Iowa State nothing."

AD Jamie Pollard tears up talking Campbell's 10-year run...powerful stuff @KCCINews pic.twitter.com/fOc44U3LCq

— Shannon Ehrhardt (@SEhrhardtKCCI) December 6, 2025

With the Campbell era coming to a close, the Jimmy Rogers era will now begin. Iowa State hired him away from the Washington State Cougars with a six-year deal. He was with the program for one season before accepting the job with the Cyclones.

Previously, Rogers found a ton of success with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the NCAA FCS Division. The team was incredibly successful under his leadership, going 27-3 with a championship in 2023. In 2024, the Jackrabbits lost in the semifinals.

Jimmy Rogers has a lot of pressure to succeed at Iowa State

Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Rogers is going to face immense pressure to continue building upon what Campbell has built in Ames. Throughout his 10 years at the helm, he got the most out of a roster that may not have been as talented as some of their rivals, but always gave 100 percent effort on the field.

The toughest challenge that Rogers will face, at least in the early going, is player defections. A key contributor on defense, cornerback Quentin Taylor Jr., has already announced his plans to enter the transfer portal.

Jamie Pollard's entire interview following Matt Campbell's departure and the hiring of Jimmy Rogers. pic.twitter.com/rbRubw2LNC

— Cyclone Fanatic (@cyclonefanatic) December 6, 2025

He likely won’t be the last Iowa State player to enter the portal, potentially following Campbell to Penn State. It will be interesting to see how many of the Class of 2026 commits will be retained as well.

Campbell was on the verge of securing the best recruiting class in his tenure with the Cyclones. That ranking will assuredly drop once commits figure out what they want to do in the future, now that there is a new head coach in charge.

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