***2025-26 CFB Coaching Carousel***

[FriendlySpartan]

You don't just fix culture at places like Florida without pissing off a lot of people. CMC just doesn't strike me as a guy that is looking to jump tot he SEC. He's not greasy enough for those jobs. Kiffin is going to end up at either Florida or LSU.

Also you’re never going to be able to convince alums/donors on a bridge coach. They aren’t looking for a guy to bring in regular 8/9 win seasons. They want to be competing at the highest level and recruiting at the highest level as well.

CMC would be awesome for a lot of programs but those programs that would be interested wouldn’t be worth leaving ISU over as long as he is happy in Ames

 

[besserheimerphat]

Many ADs, McIntosh included, are woefully under qualified for what that job has become in major college sports. These are big time CEO type jobs now. Hiring former players and familiar faces ain’t it anymore.

Totally agree, which is why I think ISU is in a relatively good position with Pollard. I know everyone wants an AD that knows sports like a coach, but that's not their job.

 

[goody2012]

I would really hope we look into Jason Eck if Campbell leaves and Nate wants to stay NFL

Can I ask why?

 

[ScottyP]

I love Campbell, but I don't think he would do well at these other programs.

Head scratching special teams
Route tree concerns on offense
Struggling in the margins

We tend to put up with some of these flaws because he has elevated the program, but he won't last long with those issues elsewhere.

Also, at some of these Blue Blood/SEC programs, Matt would have to really work to appease the megadonors and he doesn't seem the type that is willing to do that.

 

[Clonehomer]

Also you’re never going to be able to convince alums/donors on a bridge coach. They aren’t looking for a guy to bring in regular 8/9 win seasons. They want to be competing at the highest level and recruiting at the highest level as well.

CMC would be awesome for a lot of programs but those programs that would be interested wouldn’t be worth leaving ISU over as long as he is happy in Ames

Campbell would be more successful at PSU than Florida. PSU and Wisconsin are the only open jobs (or soon to be open) that I see him fitting in. I don’t see PSU going after him and I don’t see him wanting to go to Wisconsin.

I don’t think Campbell would do well in the SEC. Too many wide open offenses and too many donors to make happy. And the jobs that are open would prefer to buy teams rather than develop them.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Campbell would be more successful at PSU than Florida. PSU and Wisconsin are the only open jobs (or soon to be open) that I see him fitting in. I don’t see PSU going after him and I don’t see him wanting to go to Wisconsin.

I don’t think Campbell would do well in the SEC. Too many wide open offenses and too many donors to make happy. And the jobs that are open would prefer to buy teams rather than develop them.

I agree with the PSU take, however I think the concern would be the recruiting. It’s always easy to say that with more resources the recruiting will pick up and I’m sure it would but some guys like cmc seem to not be as natural of recruiters as others. As you pointed out he’s much more into development than playing the high star recruiting game.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Also you’re never going to be able to convince alums/donors on a bridge coach. They aren’t looking for a guy to bring in regular 8/9 win seasons. They want to be competing at the highest level and recruiting at the highest level as well.

CMC would be awesome for a lot of programs but those programs that would be interested wouldn’t be worth leaving ISU over as long as he is happy in Ames

This is my response when people say he's only interested in leaving for like ND or tOSU. If he truly wants one of those jobs he's going to have to leave ISU and coach somewhere else first. Unless Iowa State is consistently pumping out 10 win seasons you will never sell those fan bases on Campbell.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Campbell would be more successful at PSU than Florida. PSU and Wisconsin are the only open jobs (or soon to be open) that I see him fitting in. I don’t see PSU going after him and I don’t see him wanting to go to Wisconsin.

I don’t think Campbell would do well in the SEC. Too many wide open offenses and too many donors to make happy. And the jobs that are open would prefer to buy teams rather than develop them.

The only coaches that really relate with the SEC are guys that were born/raised in the south. Everyone see's the big flashy names but until you spend some significant time in the South East US you really don't truly understand how big of a deal their culture is down there. One of Brian Nelly's biggest knocks on him at LSU was that "he ain't one of us".

 

[Al_4_State]

Can I ask why?

He’s a Midwest guy who is winning in some impossible jobs

 

[somecyguy]

I think Kelly is a giant douche, but this is funny.

 

[Kinch]

The top 10 teams in coaching firings will spend 15 percent of their total revenues firing their coach.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

This is my response when people say he's only interested in leaving for like ND or tOSU. If he truly wants one of those jobs he's going to have to leave ISU and coach somewhere else first. Unless Iowa State is consistently pumping out 10 win seasons you will never sell those fan bases on Campbell.

I think 8/9 win seasons with some better recruiting and being regularly ranked would be enough but at this point he’s been at the school so long that it’s easy to point out the negatives instead of if he had only been at the school a couple years. As an example after the Covid year you could spin the narrative of a coach on the rise much easier then you can now.

I still think he would be good wherever he went but the teams he would leave for want home run hires and when you swing for the fences you strike out a lot instead of just getting on base

 

[SolterraCyclone]

I’m just starting to get a gut feeling that Campbell is looking at jobs we never would have expected him to take. The sudden and extreme lack of mental focus from the team begs the inquiry.

I assume we’re all in on Scheelhaase if he goes to Wisconsin or some place similar?

I would try to throw the kitchen sink to get Scheelhaase. He wouldn’t be here as long as Campbell likely, but he could be a fun head coach and was a great recruiter

 

[alenz95]

I take at least some sick pleasure watching all of these firings. With all of these coaching changes, I think a lot of programs are starting to confront the reality that there can only be so many "good" teams in our wonderful new college football system. Through realignment and destruction of the traditional bowl system things are going to start restructuring in terms of pecking order in conferences. There are a lot of programs who got to big fish in small ponds when there were 5 somewhat balanced power conferences. Those same programs seem to struggle with performance now that everything is more difficult and that seasons are "meaningless" once playoff hopes die off. The unfortunate reality is that there are only 12 (16) playoff slots available each year, and too many programs that feel entitled to those slots each year. Its looking like things are rough with those programs now that they're finding out reality may not be as good as envisioned when we blew up the old system.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Guys that have gone to the NFL aren't coming back to the cesspool that is college football. They're staying where they don't have to recruit, can just do football and everyone has to play by the same rules.

 

[MountainManHawk]

I take at least some sick pleasure watching all of these firings. With all of these coaching changes, I think a lot of programs are starting to confront the reality that there can only be so many "good" teams in our wonderful new college football system. Through realignment and destruction of the traditional bowl system things are going to start restructuring in terms of pecking order in conferences. There are a lot of programs who got to big fish in small ponds when there were 5 somewhat balanced power conferences. Those same programs seem to struggle with performance now that everything is more difficult and that seasons are "meaningless" once playoff hopes die off. The unfortunate reality is that there are only 12 (16) playoff slots available each year, and too many programs that feel entitled to those slots each year. Its looking like things are rough with those programs now that they're finding out reality may not be as good as envisioned when we blew up the old system.

Agreed. It’s just another way college football is becoming more like the NFL. Other than the Steelers and a few other teams, most NFL teams seem to cycle through coaches about every 3 years.

 

[Marcelason78]

Joel Klatt’s latest pod has him predicting LSU will offer $15 million/yr for their next guy. Wow.

 

[Clonehomer]

I agree with the PSU take, however I think the concern would be the recruiting. It’s always easy to say that with more resources the recruiting will pick up and I’m sure it would but some guys like cmc seem to not be as natural of recruiters as others. As you pointed out he’s much more into development than playing the high star recruiting game.

This day and age the big programs are going to have GMs to take care of much of that recruiting. The days of the head coach sitting in living rooms trying to convince a recruit to play for him isn’t the same as it used to be. Now, it’s about the NIL package and how they fit into the depth chart. The GM will handle much of that and the head coach is there for a final pitch if needed. It’s become the NFL now with the coach focusing on football rather than roster building.

And a school like PSU will be able to hand pick a GM for a coach like Campbell that doesn’t already have ‘a guy’.

 

[Clonehomer]

Joel Klatt’s latest pod has him predicting LSU will offer $15 million/yr for their next guy. Wow.

But to whom though? For as many jobs that are open, the talent pool of names ready to make that jump isn’t that big. Can you lure a retired coach back, probably. But with the way CFB has changed that’s one hell of a risk.

I can see them paying Kiffin that amount of money. But who else would deserve that? You gonna pull someone from the NFL with that amount?

 

[FriendlySpartan]

This day and age the big programs are going to have GMs to take care of much of that recruiting. The days of the head coach sitting in living rooms trying to convince a recruit to play for him isn’t the same as it used to be. Now, it’s about the NIL package and how they fit into the depth chart. The GM will handle much of that and the head coach is there for a final pitch if needed. It’s become the NFL now with the coach focusing on football rather than roster building.

And a school like PSU will be able to hand pick a GM for a coach like Campbell that doesn’t already have ‘a guy’.

I strongly disagree with a lot of this but mainly the part of the GM doing the recruiting. The coaches will still be front and center of that and leading the way. You’re not playing for the GM you are playing for the poaching staff.

The GM will handle NIL totally agree but the actual recruiting is still being done by coaches the vast majority of the time