Matt Campbell Surprised With Iowa State Head Coach Hiring

The hiring of Jimmy Rogers was one that surprised Matt Campbell.

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Penn State Football head coach Matt Campbell speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones football program underwent a massive overhaul this past offseason.

After 10 years at the helm as head coach, Matt Campbell departed. He agreed to take over as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, being drawn to the Big Ten powerhouse after turning down overtures in previous years.

Campbell didn’t go to Happy Valley alone. Almost the entire coaching staff followed him to Penn State and more than 50 players entered the transfer portal, with a large portion of them also becoming Nittany Lions.

However, there was one coach that Campbell was pleasantly surprised to have following him to his new job: offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. In a post from Inside The Lions: Coverage of Penn State Football by Audry Snyder, the former Cyclones head coach revealed that he was shocked Mouser wasn’t named his successor.

Matt Campbell shocked Taylor Mouser didn't get head coaching job

Iowa State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser talks to media during the university’s football media availability at Stark Performance Center on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“There were two major emotions. One, my initial assumption was I was going (to Penn State) and they were going to name Mouse (offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser) the head football coach. My initial assumption was how do I help him transition and how do I make sure our kids are taken care of? I felt good that that was going to be the plan. I was probably stunned when I went over there and that wasn’t the plan. So, I think it was really hard for me to go up and talk to the team to be honest with you. I was like how am I gonna handle this with our guys?” Snyder wrote.

It certainly would have been interesting to see how things would have been different had Mouser been retained as head coach. Would some of the players, especially on the offensive side of the ball, have remained in Ames instead of departing?

While it may have changed the minds of some people, it is hard to envision that too many people would have remained with the program instead of following Campbell to his new destination.

Matt Campbell has gone back and watched at least the last 15 years of Penn State football. He understands the pressure & expectations here, but he'll never wade into social media to engage in it.

My 1-on-1 with Campbell hit subscriber inboxes this AMhttps://t.co/lO5xiRiZYz pic.twitter.com/Yj3sjdALZG

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) July 20, 2026

Iowa State isn’t returning a single starter from its 2025 roster. They are the only program to have lost every eligible starter to the transfer portal, which has left a massive void to fill on the field for the new regime, led by head coach Jimmy Rogers.

Rogers comes to the Cyclones after one season with the Washington State Cougars. He was in Pullman for one year after being hired away from the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, where he won a national title and found a ton of success.

Rogers has some big shoes to fill, taking over for Campbell, who oversaw the most successful stretch in team history. He has his work cut out for him to maintain what the previous regime put together and build upon it.