Campbell Still in Demand?

[Stormin]

Who will replace Pat Fitzgerald? An NFL OC, Power 5 head coaches top Bruce Feldman's list

Would sitting head coaches like Mike Campbell and Dave Clawson be tempted to move to Evanston?

theathletic.com

Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach​

Campbell is one of the biggest college names I suspect would get consideration for the job. He was raised in the Big Ten footprint, as a Massillon, Ohio, native who starred at Mount Union before getting the Toledo job, where he was excellent, going 35-15. He took a tough job in Ames and led Iowa State to its best season ever, finishing No. 9 in 2020. The last two seasons Iowa State has tailed off, going 11-14, but folks inside the football world know just how good a coach he is. He’s still only 43. He’s had chances to leave ISU before, but this is a Big Ten job. Would he be tempted? We’re not sure. If he can lead the Cyclones




if campbell every leaves for northwestern ill chop my own balls off and fry them up and eat them.

Mike Campbell. From the lead in the linked Athletic article. Wonder if he is any relation to Matt?

 

[Stewo]

Would he be able to recruit better there? I’d imagine that their admissions standards are higher and their admissions offices are more strict. And you probably play what, 8/9 away games an year? Also, by getting rid of divisions, it’s not like they’re going to be in the west.

Also, doesn’t Campbell have something in his contract that says if Iowa State raises admissions standards his buyout goes to zero?

Easier than ISU, yes. Any staff is going to have some issues getting top kids they want due to academic standards, but they're in the Big 10 and have a lot of money being thrown at the football program. I always thought Campbell would excel at a place where academics play a major part.

 

[gipper2001]

Northwestern, this. Penn State, that. Mich St, doctor. Ohio St, wrestling. Iowa, racism.
Great conference ya got there.

Don't forget Michigan

https://www.si.com/college/michigan/football/university-of-michigan-football-doctor-robert-anderson-bo-schembechler

 

[isucy86]

NW would be another school where he'd get a ton of latitude (similar to ISU). He'd be able to recruit better there and likely have more success. That said, he seems content in Ames.

If I was a current head coach being considered for NW, I would have 2 big concerns:

• Their roster could blow up with the hazing accusations. It's one thing for Deon to sign 50 new guys and churn a roster. A little different for Northwestern. It could be a 2-3 year roster rebuild.
• I haven't heard much from their AD during this process so not sure how secure his job future is. He's only been there 2 years, but this mess is going down in his department.

Instead of a younger coaches like Campbell or Shaw, the NW job might be ideal for a late 50's former head coach looking for one last chance.

 

[CascadeClone]

Doesn't CMC have a clause in his contract to effect of, if ISU raises academic standards, his buyout goes to $0? Am I hallucinating that?

Because if I am recalling that correctly, it would suggest he probably is NOT interested in NW...

 

[CycloneErik]

Mike Campbell. From the lead in the linked Athletic article. Wonder if he is any relation to Matt?

It's a souper typo

 

[Cyhig]

Mike Campbell. From the lead in the linked Athletic article. Wonder if he is any relation to Matt?

This is why these lists are just click baits. Anytime a P5 position becomes available, an editor will ask their writer to come up with 5 or so names that could be replacements. If this is a local paper, the editor will ask that at least 1 of the 'candidates' has a local angle. The people who write these articles have absolutely no knowledge of the list of actual candidates the school may interview. And the school likely at this time doesn't even have a list put together at all.

These lists are often thrown together so quickly they don't even have time to proof read them. So I hope NW does indeed try to hire "Mike Campbell". Hope he turns out to be a hell of a coach, whomever he is

 

[Dandy]

I'd guess NW is going with an interim?

Hard timing to lose the head guy.

Maybe they'll call up our old pal Lou Ayeni.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

No way Campbell leaves ISU this late in the year, so NW will be forced to hire someone on staff for this season. Once the season is over, it's anyone's guess, maybe a school like NW and its academic standards is something he would like, but just like at ISU, the ceiling for NW is not really high, so winning 7 to 9 games a year is about as good as you can get there. Plus, he was doing that in the pillow soft B10 West, which will be gone after this season, making it even tougher to get to those levels.

 

[BMWallace]

No way Campbell leaves ISU this late in the year, so NW will be forced to hire someone on staff for this season. Once the season is over, it's anyone's guess, maybe a school like NW and its academic standards is something he would like, but just like at ISU, the ceiling for NW is really high, so winning 7 to 9 games a year is about as good as you can get there. Plus, he was doing that in the pillow soft B10 West, which will be gone after this season, making it even tougher to get to those levels.

I would imagine NW keeps the interim HC for the year so they can sort out what wider administrative changes need to be made before hiring a new coaching staff.

 

[DSMCy]

I'd guess NW is going with an interim?

Hard timing to lose the head guy.

Pretty much what they'll have to do, but I was thinking last night that really the entire staff should be let go as well.

If this was serious enough that the head coach is fired, the assistants were much more likely to have known this was going on. I'm sure those guys are much closer to the happenings of the locker room.

 

[yowza]

Pretty much what they'll have to do, but I was thinking last night that really the entire staff should be let go as well.

If this was serious enough that the head coach is fired, the assistants were much more likely to have known this was going on. I'm sure those guys are much closer to the happenings of the locker room.

Bingo. Purge.

 

[Frak]

Pretty much what they'll have to do, but I was thinking last night that really the entire staff should be let go as well.

If this was serious enough that the head coach is fired, the assistants were much more likely to have known this was going on. I'm sure those guys are much closer to the happenings of the locker room.

I think that they had to make a statement by firing the HC. But when they make a new hire after this season, I really doubt that many of the current coaches are retained. If I were them, I'd look at a Lou Ayeni, maybe David Shaw. Maybe see if you could pull a Jedd Fisch from Arizona. With B10 money, they should be able to outbid pretty much anyone outside of their conference and the SEC. The WR coach from tOSU would be an interesting hire too.

 

[CycloneWarrior]

Maybe they'll call up our old pal Lou Ayeni.

Sounds like he's been with the Broncos since February.

https://www.insidenu.com/2023/2/27/...rn-rbs-coach-lou-ayeni-joining-denver-broncos

 

[yowza]

They should get Jim Leonhard.

 

[NoCreativity]

JFC, why not add Nick Saban and Dabo Sweeney to the list. NW is arguably the worst job in the Big 10...its Vanderbilt with a bit more success.

Unless they want to wildly overpay, no established name is going there. Especially 7 weeks before the season starts.

Worse than Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana, and Illinois? Umm......no.

 

[NoCreativity]

Mike Campbell. From the lead in the linked Athletic article. Wonder if he is any relation to Matt?

The guitarist from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is a college football coach now?

 

[nrg4isu]

Beautiful campus. On the lake.

New stadium in the works. Sweet sweet B1G money.

Academics still mean something there.

A lot of positives.

Not sure I'd want to move my family from the Gilbert school district to the northern burbs. At least not the near-north burbs. I'd think that'd be a culture shock for the kids at least.

 

[RonBurgundy]

Bingo. Purge.

Not only Assistants, but this could be a scenario that 30+ kids are in the transfer portal under an interim coach. Might take years and years just to build back a decent roster with their academic standards.

 

[KnappShack]

Not sure I'd want to move my family from the Gilbert school district to the northern burbs. At least not the near-north burbs. I'd think that'd be a culture shock for the kids at least.

I get that from my own experience. But I'd have to guess it could be a culture shock that is good. Expands a person's world a bit.

Of course that's all a very personal decision. Especially when the kids are involved. We're wrestling with it now and there's no easy answer