Matt Campbell to Stay at Iowa State Amid Rumors of NY Jets' Interest

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell holds the trophy after the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game against Oregon, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. Iowa State won 34-17. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell took to Twitter on Sunday morning stating his intention to remain with the program amid reports of interest from the NFL.

Matt Campbell @ISUMattCampbell
So grateful for the commitment of so many to continue to want to build our program together. Our foundation has been built on Loyalty and Faithfulness and it will continue to be our guiding light. Humbled and Grateful to continue to lead to be different.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported Saturday that Campbell would not interview for the New York Jets opening.

The 41-year-old finished off a nine-win season with a Fiesta Bowl victory over Oregon on January 2 and has revitalized one of the Big 12's most dormant programs. The Jets parted ways with head coach Adam Gase after two seasons and a 9-23 record.

New York was reportedly interested in Campbell before it hired Gase in 2019, only for the ISU coach to decline an interview. Campbell's stock has only continued to surge since then as his success with the Cyclones has made him one of the most desired coaches for any general manager or athletic director.

In five years at Iowa State, Campbell is 35-28 (26-19 Big 12) and has been to four consecutive bowl games. It seems the coach won't be leaving for the Jets now that he has the program rolling.

According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Campbell and Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald are the "college coaches who are generating the most buzz right now."

General manager Joe Douglas made clear after Gase's firing that the team would conduct a far-reaching search for its next head coach.

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"I think we're going to cast a wide net," Douglas said. "I think there's great coaches at the pro level and college level. If there's a coach on the college level that meets that criteria of leadership, communication and collaboration, has a strong vision of what they want this team to look like and the identity of this team, I don't think we're going to shy away from that."

That just won't be Campbell.