Iowa State Cyclones Football Has Plenty of Intrigue Starting Jimmy Rogers Era

What are the expectations for Jimmy Rogers in his first season at the helm of the Iowa State Cyclones?

Jimmy Rogers speaks during his introductory press conference as Iowa State’s new head football coach on Dec. 8, 2025, at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season marked the end of an era for the Iowa State Cyclones program.

After 10 years at the helm, head coach Matt Campbell moved on to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Tasked with replacing the winningest coach in program history is Jimmy Rogers, who was hired away from the Washington State Cougars.

He will be tasked with building upon the success that Campbell had during his tenure with the program. That is no small task, but this is a sizable upgrade in terms of resources compared to his last job.

Rogers was dealt a difficult hand in his lone year with Washington State. A lot of the luxuries he will be provided with at Iowa State, he didn’t have with the Cougars.

Iowa State football team offers plenty of intrigue

Jul 12, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Iowa State Cyclones helmet and logo during Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

That should excite Cyclones fans after seeing the job he did in Pullman. Despite having 75 newcomers on the roster in 2025, he led the team to a bowl game. Interim head coach Jesse Bobbit, who is now the defensive coordinator under Rogers with Iowa State, led the team to victory over Utah State.

That success with Washington State has landed his hiring in the "Intriguing Despite Challenges” tier of the coaching carousel list that Brad Crawford of CBS Sports put together based on the expectations new Power 4 head coaches will face.

Coming into 2025, Iowa State was viewed as a potential Big 12 contender. They lost in the conference championship game the previous season to the Arizona State Sun Devils and looked to have the talent to contend again.

While they fell short of their ultimate goal of title contention because of a four-game losing streak in the middle of the campaign, the Cyclones finished the season 8-4. It was the third winning year in a row for the program and the eighth time in the last nine years they finished above .500.

Jimmy Rogers has opportunity to succeed instantly with Cyclones

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half in the Iowa State and Iowa men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series at Hilton coliseum on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While virtually all of the contributors to that success, both on the roster and coaching staff, have departed, the expectations remain for the new regime led by Rogers.

Those high expectations aren’t going to faze him, either. He has no plans to take time to rebuild the program, expecting to win right away. It is part of the reason quarterback Jaylen Raynor committed to Iowa State.

He has one year of collegiate eligibility remaining and didn’t want to spend it with a rebuilding program. Raynor wants to win and contend in 2026, and that is exactly what Rogers is expecting his new team to do.