Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell on end of regular season
Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell on end of regular season, bowl prep, roster moves and what next few weeks will look like.
Update: ESPN’s ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Friday night that Washington State’s Jimmy Rogers will become the Cyclones’ next coach. Rogers also coached at South Dakota State, where he won a national title in 2023. Iowa State later confirmed that Rogers is its new coach.
AMES — Consistent success hasn’t always come easy for Iowa State football, but Matt Campbell found a way to make it happen over his 10 years in Ames.
The three-time Big 12 coach of the year and the Cyclones’ all-time wins leader is moving on to Penn State, the Register has confirmed.
There will be big shoes to fill for whoever carries the torch.
Here’s a look at some names to know and potential candidates as Iowa State undergoes its head coaching search. The list is in alphabetical order.
Anthony Becht (St. Louis Battlehawks, UFL)
The father of quarterback Rocco Becht, the elder Becht has done some coaching of his own in the UFL and has previously shown interest in coaching in the collegiate ranks. He reportedly interviewed for his alma mater’s coaching job at West Virginia when there was a vacancy last winter.
He’s served as the coach of the St. Louis Battlehawks over the last three years. Becht has worked with former Cyclone players Chase Allen, Hakeem Butler, Mike Rose and Willie Harvey, who have had prominent roles on the Battlehawks.
- 22-8 record over three years coaching at St. Louis
- Battlehawks had the best regular-season record in the XFL Conference in each of the last two years
- Played 11 years in the NFL, mostly for the New York Jets and Tampa Buccaneers, with stints for the St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs
- Former first-round NFL draft pick as tight end after a standout career at West Virginia
Jason Candle (Toledo)
The last time Iowa State went to Toledo for a new head coach, it worked out well for the Cyclones. Candle replaced Campbell as Toledo’s head coach after Campbell left for Iowa State. He has been at the helm of the Rockets since Campbell’s departure.
Candle also previously played alongside Campbell at Mount Union. They also coached together at their alma mater and at Toledo. Candle and Campbell overlapped at Mount Union for two years from 2005-06. Candle was promoted to offensive coordinator when Campbell left to join the Bowling Green coaching staff. They reunited at Toledo from 2009-15.
- 81-44 record as head coach of Toledo over 10 seasons
- Led Rockets to MAC championships in 2017 and 2022
- Never had a losing season at Toledo as head coach
- Two-time MAC coach of the year, 3-5 record in bowl games
- Spent entire Division I coaching career at Toledo, rising the ranks from position coach to offensive coordinator from 2009-15, before taking over as head coach
Jason Eck (New Mexico)
An offensive-minded coach, Eck has found immediate success coaching at the FBS level. In his first year with the Lobos, they finished the regular season with a 9-3 record. It is the first time New Mexico had a winning season and was bowl-eligible since 2016.
Eck was a former offensive lineman at Wisconsin, and he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. Before coaching at New Mexico, he was at Idaho for three years.
- 35-16 total record over four years as head coach, three seasons at Idaho and one at New Mexico
- Took over at Idaho in 2022 after five consecutive losing seasons, turned the Vandals around and led them to the FCS playoffs every year he was there
- Rose up the ranks, mostly as an offensive line coach, primarily for FCS and Division II schools
- Before his first head coaching job, Eck served as the offensive coordinator at South Dakota State from 2019-21
A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Entz already has some experience in taking over after a big coaching departure. After spending four years as North Dakota State’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Entz was the successor for Chris Klieman when he left the Bison after four FCS national championships to make the FBS jump and coach at Kansas State.
Entz was able to continue North Dakota State’s championship tradition, winning two national titles as head coach. He eventually left for an associate head coach and linebackers coach position at USC for a year before getting his first FBS head coaching gig.
- 68-15 total record, which includes five years at North Dakota State and one season at Fresno State
- Fresno State went 8-4 this year, Entz’s first with the Bulldogs
- Won FCS national championships in 2019 and 2021, finished as runner-up in 2022
Ryan Grubb (Alabama offensive coordinator)
A native of Kingsley, Iowa, Grubb could be on the hunt for his first college head coaching gig. He’s a longtime assistant of Kalen DeBoer, going back with the Alabama coach since their NAIA days at Sioux Falls. Grubb has served on DeBoer’s staff through Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, Washington and now Alabama.
He also has NFL experience as the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator for a year in 2024, before rejoining DeBoer at Alabama.
- Five total years experience as a college offensive coordinator, including three at the power-conference level for Washington and Alabama
- One year stint as Seahawks’ offensive coordinator in the NFL
- Began college coaching career as the running backs coach at South Dakota State in 2005, has been at a FBS or higher level since 2014
Jon Heacock (Iowa State defensive coordinator)
Iowa State might not have to look too far for a new coach, but will Heacock even be interested in taking the head coaching role?
With more than four decades of college coaching experience, Heacock is the most experienced staff member. He’s primarily been a defensive coordinator or position coach, but Heacock did serve as a head coach at Youngstown State from 2001-09.
- Defensive coordinator for the Cyclones since 2016 and has been impactful in that role
- 60-44 record as head coach at Youngstown State from 2001-09
- Previously held defensive coordinator stints at Youngstown State (1992-96, 2000), Indiana (1997-99), Kent State (2011-12) and Toledo (2014-15)
Taylor Mouser (Iowa State offensive coordinator)
You’ve got to look in-house, right?
Mouser has been a Campbell disciple, but if he chooses to stay in Ames, he’ll likely get a couple of inquiries for the position. A former defensive lineman at Division II Adams State, Mouser got his first coaching break as a graduate assistant for Campbell in 2015 at Toledo. He followed Campbell to Ames the following year and has risen up the ranks ever since.
- Iowa State offensive coordinator and tight ends coach for each of the last two years
- Cyclones’ tight ends coach from 2021-22 before getting promoted to tight ends coach and associate head coach in 2023
- Also served on staff from 2016-20, starting as a graduate assistant, before also serving as assistant director of scouting and senior quality control personnel on offense
Jimmy Rogers (Washington State)
Washington State went 6-6 in his first season coaching at an FBS school, but before that, he had plenty of success at the FCS level. A former linebacker at South Dakota State, Rogers spent more than a decade rising up the ranks as a coach at his alma mater. He started as a graduate assistant, left for a season at Florida Atlantic, came back as the linebackers coach, then worked his way up to defensive coordinator before taking over as South Dakota State head coach from 2023-24.
- 33-9 total record over three years as head coach
- Guided South Dakota State to 15-0 season that ended as FCS national champions in 2023, followed up with a 12-3 record and a FCS final four appearance in 2024.
Nate Scheelhaase (Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator, NFL)
The Davenport, Iowa, native is a young coach trending upward. A former quarterback at Illinois, Scheelhaase started his coaching career at his alma mater before joining Campbell’s staff at Iowa State.
He first joined the Cyclones as a running backs coach in 2018. By the time of his departure after the 2023 season, he was Iowa State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Scheelhaase has been with the Los Angeles Rams for the last two years. Will he want to continue the NFL track or be a college head coach one day?
- Joined the Rams as an offensive assistant and passing game specialist in 2024 before getting promoted to the Rams’ pass game coordinator for 2025
- Previously spent one season as Iowa State’s offensive coordinator in 2023, was also Iowa State’s run game coordinator, running backs and wide receivers coach at various points from 2018-22
Joe Woodley (Drake)
Woodley was a former co-captain and linebacker at Iowa State from 1999-2003. He’s well-versed in the playing experience at Iowa State and knows what to expect from the community around Ames. Woodley has spent the last seven seasons coaching at Des Moines schools Grand View and Drake, and he’s been successful throughout. It would be a jump to the Big 12.
- 80-9 overall record as head coach, including six years at Grand View and one year at Drake
- Drake finished 8-4 and won the Pioneer League title in Woodley’s first year coaching Division I, FCS football
- Went 72-5 at Grand View and won the NAIA national championship in 2024. The team finished in the top four of NAIA rankings each year Woodley was there.
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
