Coveted College Coach Not Expected to Interview For Jets' Head Coaching Job
If Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell makes the jump to the NFL this offseason, it seems like it won't be with the New York Jets.
Campbell is not expected to interview for New York's head coaching vacancy, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.
As soon as New York fired Adam Gase, Campbell's name popped up as a candidate to be his replacement. Campbell, who has been in charge at Iowa State since 2016, was in the mix last time New York was seeking to hire a new head coach. That time, however, Campbell declined an interview.
Campbell took to social media on Sunday morning and made it clear he has every intention to stay at Iowa State.
"So grateful for the commitment of so many to continue to want to build our program together," the head coach tweeted. "Our foundation has been built on Loyalty and Faithfulness and it will continue to be our guiding light. Humbled and Grateful to continue to lead to be different."
Over five years at Iowa State, Campbell has a 35-28 record. After stepping in and going 3-9 in his first season at the helm, Campbell's Cyclones have won seven-plus games ever since. That's for a program that hadn't won seven games in almost a decade before Campbell arrived.
His ability to transform Iowa State into a powerhouse in the Big 12 is why he's considered one of the hottest coaches on the market. It's that experience turning a program around and doing it quickly that New York is looking for this offseason, coming off one of their lowest points in franchise history.
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Before Iowa State, Campbell was the head coach at Toledo, putting together five seasons of continued success (with a 35-15 record).
It's worth noting that Feldman's update on Campbell on Saturday does contradict another report from earlier in the day. Jason La Canfora of CBS reported that the Jets and general manager Joe Douglas are "very high" on Campbell and that he's expected to "speak to team officials as part of this process."
Campbell aside, New York has interviewed four candidates for their vacancy as of Saturday. The Jets are casting a wide net in their head coaching search, conducting interviews with veterans like Marvin Lewis, offensive coordinators Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs) and Joe Brady (Panthers) as well as defensive coordinator Robert Saleh (49ers). More interviews will come over the next few weeks.
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