Iowa State football: Matt Campbell signs lucrative long-term extension

Matt Campbell and Iowa State agree to an eight-year contract extension through the 2028 season.

Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell has determined his heart belongs in Ames, Iowa for the foreseeable future. The 41-year old coach agreed to a new contract to stay with Iowa State through the 2028 football season, first reported by Bruce Feldman.

The Iowa State Athletic Department made the news official on Monday and also agreed to provide Campbell $3 million to retain and hire staff members over the next three seasons.

Since his first season with the Cyclones in 2016, Campbell has lifted the Iowa State football program from the bottom of the Big 12 to national prominence. After a 3-9 record to close out his first season as head coach, Campbell has completely altered the culture of the program and catapulted the school into one of the most talented squads in the conference.

Matt Campbell has been a target of NFL teams and bigger college football programs

The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year has led the Cyclones to four-straight bowl games, a school record, yearly appearances in the AP Top 25 polls, and the most wins in school history over a four-year stretch (32).

The Cyclones are coming off of a first-place finish in the Big 12 regular season standings in 2020, a runner-up finish in the Big 12 Championship game, and the program’s first New Year’s Six bowl game.

Campbell is the first and only coach in program history to have defeated every team in the Big 12 at least once in his tenure and owns 34.6 percent of Iowa State’s all-time victories over Top-25 opponents. The 41-year old has defeated nine ranked opponents since 2017, tied for ninth nationally over the last four seasons.

Campbell and the Cyclones football program hope to continue the success in 2021 and follow one of the school’s best seasons in program history. With an additional eight years left in his contract and praise from the school and the Cyclones fans, Campbell has a great opportunity to turn the Iowa State football program into a powerhouse in the Big 12 if the program continues to trend positively.

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