Rogers credits Campbell for making Iowa State job too good to pass up and setting him up for success

Jimmy Rogers admired Iowa State football from afar as Matt Campbell was leading the Cyclones through the best 10 years in program history, and he had designs on the coaching job long before it was open.

So much so, in fact, that when athletic director Jamie Pollard offered him the opportunity to be Campbell’s successor, Rogers accepted before he was even told what he would be paid.

The 38-year-old Rogers signed a six-year contract that initially will pay him $3 million per year, about double his salary in his one season at Washington State.

The Cyclones were 72-55 and played in six bowls under Campbell, who was hired last week to replace James Franklin at Penn State. Iowa State finished 8-4 this season, with the players voting to not play in a bowl.

“Matt Campbell is an unbelievable person, and I would be remiss if I didn’t bring him up,” Rogers said at his introductory news conference Monday. “What he’s done for this university the last decade, how he’s built the program, build a culture where the players love their coach. To walk into an unbelievable opportunity… a large part of what Iowa State is and what the football program has become is due to Matt Campbell, and I’m thankful for him and that friendship.”

Rogers grew up in Chandler, Arizona, and was a walk-on linebacker at South Dakota State under longtime coach John Stiegelmeier. Rogers was on the SDSU staff for 10 years before he replaced the retiring Stiegelmeier after the 2022 season. Rogers led the Jackrabbits for two years, going unbeaten and winning the Championship Subdivision national title in 2023. He left for Washington State after last season and was 6-6 in his only year with the Cougars.

“I didn’t take the Washington State job and move across the country to abandon (the school) in one year. I didn’t,” he said.

But the opportunity to chase Big 12 championships and College Football Playoff bids at Iowa State was too good to pass up, he said. Also, his wife, Haley, is from Mitchell, South Dakota, so moving closer to family was a strong pull.

Rogers indicated several members of his Washington State staff would join him at ISU. Rogers is a defensive specialist, and he said he planned to install a four-man front, a departure from the 3-3-5 alignment for which former coordinator Jon Heacock was known.

Rogers said he met with players Sunday night and described them as shaken by Campbell’s sudden departure.

“The fact it feels this way and that you feel the pain and hurt, it’s a credit to coach Campbell that there’s this feeling inside of you,” Rogers said he told the players. “I think that’s a great sign of great coaching as far as how they were loved and treated inside of this program, but they’re not going to be treated much different.”

Rogers said he hopes to retain the majority of the roster but knows a number of players will leave, including some who will follow Campbell to Penn State.

Pollard said he first met Rogers when they were paired at a professional development workshop in Austin, Texas.

“There was an immediate bond,” Pollard said, with Rogers sitting next to him Monday. “The first time we talked, you asked me, ‘What do I have to do to be the next head coach at Iowa State if coach Campbell leaves?’ That’s what we spent the bulk of the time talking about during that 48 hours. I immediately sensed his maturity, his laser focus.”

The next time they talked was Friday on the phone.

“I said, ‘I need to know one thing: If coach Campbell leaves, and I offer you the job, and I offer you…’ and he said, ‘Stop. You don’t have to tell me what you’re going to pay me. The answer is yes. I’m taking the job. I trust you. Don’t worry about what you’re paying me,’” Pollard said. ”That should tell you all you need to know about how much this man wanted to be here.”

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football