As a season ticket holder and rocket fan of 30 years, I think Matt Campbell is among the brightest coaches we have had here and I think he will have a magnificent coaching career after he leaves here. That said, here are some thoughts.

Too Soon:
Mac coaches leave too early at the first whiff of a better job. I get the temptation but many leave before they really have developed all the skills for a higher level job. And in on same cases, hired away with limited success at the current level.

Too Short

Don't sell yourself Coach Campbell. What take the worst job that comes along from a Power 5 conference?

They will come calling next year and situations that better fit your skill set will present themselves.

Iowa State? This will represent the worst job movement from a coach here in 30 years. Missouri, Ok I get. Illinois, Big 10, I get. Iowa State is a bottom feeder where success will be defined by .500 ball. It's a Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota, Kansas... A bottom five "Power Five".

Too little

Dare I say it. What has Matt Campbell done that Tim Beckman didn't. Every coach talks about finishing. The job never seems to get quite finished.

Toledo is built for success in the MAC. It's a perfect launchpad for the next level. Campbell stock is not going lower than it is today. In fact, it will go higher.

There are reason why it's Iowa State calling and not a higher level job:

-NO MAC CHAMPIONSHIP
-NO MAC TITLE GAME
-Inability to win last two home games either of which of would have put you into the championship game.
-Timeout and Clock Management issues

Tim Beckman taking Illinois was a better job than this. Beckman was not ready either and the resume is eerily similar. Actually Beckman had a mess to clean up when he came to Toledo. Coach Campbell did not.

And two more practical points, one personal and one professional. Ohio is home. Do you want to pick up your family and move to Iowa? Nothing against Iowa. But is this a once in lifetime opportunity?

Recruiting. Toledo recruiting is built on Ohio and Pennsylvania. Are you going to recruit kids to Ames Iowa from here? I think that's a hard sell because whether he likes it or not, he will be recruiting this area against MAC schools. Coach Campbell connections are not out in Big 12 country. He's better suited for a Big 10/ACC geography.

I hope he stays, and I will root for him if he goes, but I think we have seen this story before and it doesn't have a happy ending.

(11-28-2015 08:14 PM)Rocketdamus Wrote:  ...
I hope he stays, and I will root for him if he goes, but I think we have seen this story before and it doesn't have a happy ending.

A lot expressed that I feel also. I would rather he hold out for something with more potential. I don't think his current staffing is up to turning around that program.

IMO Iowa State would be a worse jump than Beckman to Illinois. Stay a few more years, possibly win a championship and you will start getting offers from the top side of the P5 confrences, vs the bottom. Stay longer, create a legacy, win a championship or two, then leave on your terms to a good job, not a low end P5 school. But hey, if he leaves, don't let the door hit you and take the OC with you. He still didn't deliver a championship to UT. We will bring someone in who can.

I agree about Iowa St not being a good job & that this staff isn't the right group to turn them around. Regarding why coaches like Matt take these jobs, I once heard someone describe coaches as egomaniacs. They think so highly of their abilities that even though others have failed before them, they have zero doubt they will succeed.

I want Campbell to stay. I like stability, and what he's building. At the same time I wonder if change would be good. It's risky, but it could be a net positive like Campbell taking over for Beckmann.

Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

In either case, Go Rockets!