Next Iowa State football coach: Top 5 best candidates to replace Matt Campbell

If Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell does take the Penn State job, it's time to look at five head coaching candidates who could replace him

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As one college football job close, another opens. Penn State is circling the end of a 54-day odyssey in finding their next head football coach as news broke Friday that Iowa State's Matt Campbell is reportedly going through contract negotiations with the Nittany Lions.

So, with Penn State seemingly off the market and Iowa State set to become the only remaining power conference head coaching opening in the current 2025 cycle, who are the Cyclones looking at next? No official candidates have ben reported, as Campbell's hire at PSU is not yet final. But let's go ahead and a take an early peek at five candidates who very possibly could wind up at the center of this search:

Nathan Scheelhaase | Rams Pass Game Coordinator

Former Iowa State assistant Nate Scheelhaase talks to the team | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

A growing college football insider, Liam Blutman with Barstool Sports, threw Nate Scheelhaase out as the first call Iowa State should make if their job does open. "Time to get cracking on the Iowa State case… My first call would be to Rams Passing Game Coordinator, Nathan Scheelhaase," he posted on X. "Former Illinois QB, coached at ISU from 2018-2023 in various roles."

Scheelhaase may be a risky shot but as a 35-year-old trusted assistant under Sean McVay, Blutman likes the upside. "I’m sure there’s worry he sticks in NFL and that’s fine," he added. "Just gauge his interest and go from there. He’s still first call I make, you have to be very meticulous."

I’m sure there’s worry he sticks in NFL and that’s fine. Just gauge his interest and go from there. He’s still first call I make, you have to be very meticulous

— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) December 5, 2025

Jason Candle | Toledo HC

Toledo Rockets head coach Jason Candle | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ten years ago, Iowa State handed their program over to another head coach of Toledo, Matt Campbell, who made a decade-worth of memories and left the Cyclone program to take the Penn State Nittany Lions job. That's a pretty good result for a head coaching hire.

So, the Rockets could hit the same well a second time with Jason Candle, who actually replaced Campbell as the interim back in 2015 and has held the Toledo head coaching position ever since. He was mentioned on the periphery of a few coaching searches this cycle and could be looking to get out of the MAC. Perhaps he could follow in Campbell's footsteps a second time.

Chris Ash | Notre Dame DC

Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Chris Ash | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

An Ottumwa, Iowa native and former Iowa State assistant coach, Chris Ash is a real football coaching veteran. He's been a defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Arkansas, Ohio State, Texas and serves that role right now for a terrific Notre Dame team. Ash also coached defensive backs at two different NFL teams, the Jaguars and Raiders before returning to coach at Notre Dame following Al Golden's departure last winter.

The stain on Ash's resume is his only other head coaching experience at Rutgers. He led an 8-32 total record and was let go mid-2019. We're talking about one of the worst programs in power conference football, but still, Ash simply didn't produce. Six years later with even more coordinator experience under his belt, and coaching at a better job closer to his midwestern roots, Chris Ash could be a sneaky and sensible pick at Iowa State.

Tim Polasek | Norh Dakota State HC

Former Iowa offensive line coach Tim Polasek stands on the sideline | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen, Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

From the small northern town of Iola, Wisconson, Polasek was an Iowa offensive line coach for four years before graduating to an offensive coordinator position at Wyoming, which he then parlayed into the head coaching gig at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. Through nearly two years, his tenure is all about winning.

NDSU did drop two games in 2024, Polasek's first season at the helm, but rebounded to win 14 games, including the FCS national championship. So far this 2025 season, North Dakota State is undefeated and eying a second straight championship. Could Polasek ride that success to a head coaching gig in the Big 12? Seems like a good idea for the Cyclones.

Lance Taylor | Western Michigan HC

Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The top tier of Group of Five head coaches from 2025 were largely poached by the first spin of the carousel. However, solid options always remain. The AAC might be light on HC candidates, but in the MAC, alongside Jason Candle, is Lance Taylor, more of a fast riser at WMU, who's set to play in the conference title game this weekend.

At 44 years old, much of Taylor's notable coaching experience comes in the 2020s. He coached running backs at Notre Dame, then landed the offensive coordinator position at Louisville, which he held for one season before he was offered the Western Michigan gig. In three years in Kalamazoo, Taylor went from four wins to six and now eight, with the chance at 10 if the Broncos can win in the league championship and in the ensuing bowl game.