Jimmy Rogers Replaces Matt Campbell at Iowa State, What to Know About New HC

Iowa State already has Matt Campbell's replacement lined up.

Washington State head coach Jimmy Rogers is set to take over as head coach, the program announced Friday.

He is joining the Cyclones on a six-year contract, according to Iowa State.

The news comes shortly after Yahoo Spots' Ross Dellenger reported Campbell had been hired by Penn State.

Penn State had been searching for a head coach since firing James Franklin back on Oct. 30.

After reportedly missing out on multiple other targeted candidates, the Nittany Lions are now bringing in Campbell on an eight-year deal, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Rogers led South Dakota State to an FCS title in 2023. He signed a five-year deal with Washington State last December and led the Cougars to a 6-6 record in 2025.

Iowa State director of athletics Jamie Pollard described Rogers in a statement as "a rising star in college athletics who has very strong ties to the Midwest both as a player and as a coach."

According to Pollard, Rogers had expressed interest in the Iowa State job for multiple years.

"He has been on my short-list ever since the first time I met him," Pollar wrote. "He immediately impressed me with his interest in Iowa State University and told me during our first visit several years ago that he wanted to be the next head coach at Iowa State."

Rogers will now take over for Campbell, who is parting ways with Iowa State after leading the Cyclones to an 8-4 record in his 10th season with the program.

Campbell will leave the Cyclones with a 72-55 career record over 10 seasons with the program.

Rogers was a player for SDSU before joining the staff as a linebackers coach in 2013.

In two seasons as head coach from 2023 to 2024, he led SDSU to a 27-3 overall record capped off by an undefeated season and national championship.

The Cougars struggled early in Rogers' first season in the FBS, including when the team gave up 59 points in back-to-back games early in the season.

Washington State looked more competitive down the stretch, however, and finished the season with a close loss at James Madison followed by a bowl eligibility-clinching win over Oregon State.

Pollard and Iowa State will now hope Rogers can help the Cyclones build a competitive team around what 247Sports ranks as one of the top 50 recruiting classes in the nation.