Amid a wild offseason coaching carousel, multiple coaches with Big 12 ties have been linked to openings at the next level in the NFL.
One such coach is Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, who is expected to interview for the Chicago Bears vacancy.
Campbell is a desired option in the eyes of NFL executives due to his work as the winningest head coach in Iowa State football history. In 2024, he led the team to 11 wins, the most in the program’s 133-year history. He also became Iowa State’s winningest head coach in just nine seasons at the helm with a career record of 64-51.
He was recently listed among several collegiate and NFL coaches in the running for the head coaching jobs in Dallas and in Chicago. He is currently receiving the eighth-best odds in Chicago’s search and the 21st-best odds in the Dallas search, courtesy of BetOnline.
Related: Matt Campbell Expected to Interview with NFL Team
Is it likely that Campbell will depart Iowa State for the NFL? Maybe at some point, but our own Derek Duke responded to the possibility of the Cyclones head coach leaving the program and doesn’t expect the change to take place this offseason.
“Don’t get me wrong, despite how poorly those franchises [Chicago and New York] are run, they are still historic teams and cities,” Duke wrote. “Both franchises have had some great coaches and players over the years, but lately, those two teams have been about as bad as it gets. In fact, it seems like every two years, these franchises are firing coaches, and it doesn’t help that the front offices of those places are run worse than your local rundown fast-food chain.”
“[Receiving a statue in Ames] Wouldn’t shock me at all, but what would shock me is if he took a job with a franchise like the New York Jets or the Chicago Bears,” Duke continued. “As much as college football tries to be like the NFL in some ways, they are still two totally different worlds, and for a guy like Matt Campbell, I have a tough time seeing him walk away from college football and Ames, Iowa.”
