Fansided

3 college football programs that need to hire Matt Campbell

By Nathaniel Reeves

AMES, IA - SEPTEMBER 3: Head coach Matt Campbell of the Iowa State Cyclones coaches from the sidelines in the first half of play against the Northern Iowa Panthers at Jack Trice Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Ames, Iowa. Northern Iowa Panthers won 25-20 over the Iowa State Cyclones (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - SEPTEMBER 3: Head coach Matt Campbell of the Iowa State Cyclones coaches from the sidelines in the first half of play against the Northern Iowa Panthers at Jack Trice Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Ames, Iowa. Northern Iowa Panthers won 25-20 over the Iowa State Cyclones (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /
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KNOXVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 14: Head coach Butch Jones of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts against the against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Neyland Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 14: Head coach Butch Jones of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts against the against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Neyland Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Tennessee Volunteers

Butch Jones is going to be fired at any minute by Tennessee, giving the Volunteers a head start on the rest of the field in the coaching carousel. With Campbell continuing to rack up impressive wins week in and week out, the Volunteers should be interested in hiring him early in the coaching search process.

The names connected to the Tennessee coaching job in the coming weeks will certainly be flashier than Campbell. Rumors have been swirling about Jon Gruden perhaps coming out of to coach the Volunteers, which seems extremely unlikely, with names like James Franklin and Mike Leach also popping up as far-fetched candidates.

Tennessee should at least give Chip Kelly a call, but it’s unclear if he would want to deal with the recruiting and booster pressure associated with SEC football. If that doesn’t work out and Tennessee has to turn to a rising head coach at a smaller program, Campbell would an excellent fit.

Jones won’t leave the cupboard totally devoid of talent of Knoxville, which could be an exciting proposition with Campbell given how he’s been able to coach up lower rated recruits at Toledo and Iowa State. Tennessee’s major need is on the offensive side of the ball, something Campbell could help with immediately after putting up prolific numbers as Toledo’s coordinator.

Next: Texas suffers yet another heartbreaking loss

It’s a minor miracle that Jones made it this far into the season, and Saturday’s predictable blowout loss to Alabama doesn’t help his standing. If none of the splash hires land, look for Campbell to be one of Tennessee’s top choices.

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