Iowa State Cyclones Hiring Highly Regarded Wide Receivers Coach to Jimmy Rogers Staff

Iowa State Cyclones head coach Jimmy Rogers has a great wide receiver coach added to his staff.

Dec 11, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones new football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during the Cyclones game with the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The football staff under head coach Jimmy Rogers is starting to come together for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Already announced as part of his staff is Jesse Bobbit, the current interim head coach of the Washington State Cougars. He will coach them through their bowl game before taking over as defensive coordinator under Rogers once again.

Iowa State is also welcoming back alumnus Chris Campbell. He will be taking over as strength and conditioning coach, coming to the Cyclones from the UTEP Miners. The additions aren’t stopping there for the football staff.

As shared by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Iowa State has filled its wide receiver coach vacancy with Derrick Sherman. His hiring kills two birds with one stone for the Cyclones, because it also weakens one of their Big 12 rivals.

Derrick Sherman is great hire for Iowa State

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars wide receivers coach Derrick Sherman against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He was the wide receiver coach/assistant head coach with the Houston Cougars. Sherman is credited with helping elevate the performance of Amare Thomas, who finished second in the Big 12 in receiving yards with 906 yards in his first season with the program after transferring in from the UAB Blazers.

He has an extensive history working with offensive skill position players. Before working with the Cougars, Sherman was with the Tulane Green Wave, where he started off as the running backs coach before transitioning to working with receivers.

During his time with the Green Wave, he worked with Chris Brazzell, who turned into a standout performer with the Tennessee Volunteers. When Willie Fritz accepted the head coaching job with Houston, Sherman went along with him. He also has stops with the Samford Bulldogs and Georgia Southern Eagles on his resume.

Iowa State is set to hire Houston wide receivers coach/assistant head coach Derrick Sherman, sources tell @CBSSports.

Helped Amare Thomas rank second in the Big 12 in receiving yards. Previously worked at Tulane and coached guys like eventual Tennessee standout Chris Brazzell. pic.twitter.com/MUa8CZxgRP

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 19, 2025

Sherman is an excellent addition to the Cyclones coaching staff. He has some big shoes to replace, taking over the role that was previously held by Noah Pauley, who followed Matt Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Pauley did incredible work with Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who were both selected by the Houston Texans in the 2025 NFL Draft in the second and third rounds, respectively. This season, he also helped Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell take their games to another level.

Helping retain those two should be the No. 1 priority for Sherman once he is settled at Iowa State. The Cyclones lost two freshmen, Karon Brookins and Zay Robinson, to the transfer portal.

Members of their Class of 2026, Amarion Jackson and Kash Brock, both decommitted upon the head coaching change being announced. Sherman will help restock the wide receiver depth chart.