I don’t know the man, so I have no inside information..
However, I have watched games, read interviews and it apparent to me what matters most to Coach Campbell. Last year, at the senior game he welled up before the game when congratulating the seniors. His emotions today, per his words, were about the players. This man is about relationships and people. He enjoys mentoring and teaching. He takes pride in his program producing men of character. Marchie Murdock was in the program one year and look at his response to the game yesterday. Coach makes a difference in these players’ lives.
I love that Coach Campbell introduced “Victory Day” at ISU. He gets it, the team is part of the community, it holds influence. It is a source of pride. He has built a culture that extends beyond the field and scores.
He has said that the reason he is at ISU is Jamie Pollard. He has been given carte blanche to create this program, process, culture, etc. I am not so sure that the kind of impact and influence that Coach Campbell has at ISU would carry to a blue-blood program that already has that culture in place, that legacy.