Iowa State Coach Understandably Seen as Potential Candidate for Florida Gators Job

Will the Florida Gators pursue the talented coach of the Iowa State Cyclones?

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

After a 23-21 win over the Mississippi State Rebels, the Florida Gators elected to fire their head coach, Billy Napier, on Sunday. The 2025 campaign hasn’t gone the way that the program would have wanted, with a 3-4 record overall, and they elected to move on from their coach. 

Overall, Napier totaled a losing record with Florida, which is something that the program simply wasn’t going to stand for. With a couple of other high-profile positions available, the Gators likely wanted to start their process of trying to find a new coach as quickly as possible. 

Like when the Penn State Nittany Lions job became available, there is going to be no shortage of names mentioned for the Florida job. Even though the program has not been able to have the same success that they are accustomed to, it is still going to be a desirable job that would come with a lucrative contract and the ability to pursue top-rated recruits on a yearly basis. 

Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated recently wrote about 10 candidates for the Gators' job, and Iowa State Cyclones’ head coach Matt Campbell was mentioned. 

Campbell Makes Sense for Gators

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are going to be a lot of big names connected to the Florida job, with their history and the program’s ability to lure in top talent. For a coach like Campbell, the resources that would be available to him with the Gators would far surpass anything that Iowa State could give him. 

However, while his potential interest in such a job is unknown, he has built a strong program for the Cyclones and is going to be mentioned nearly every time one of these jobs becomes available. Campbell got his head coaching career started with Toledo back in 2010 and had a very successful five years with the program. He totaled a 35-15 record in 50 games and went 2-1 in bowl games before leaving for Iowa State. 

Since joining the Cyclones, he has been a significant reason for the football program turning around. So far, he has totaled a 69-53 record in 10 years with Iowa State, which includes going 3-4 in bowl games. 

With Campbell being in the program for so long, it is very possible that his interest in these big jobs is limited. However, he has proven to be one of the best coaches in the country, and that will continue to link him to top jobs when they become available.