5 candidates to replace Manny Diaz as Miami football coach

3. Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach

Heading into a road game against UNLV Saturday night, the Cyclones were 1-1 this season with a narrow win over Northern Iowa and a loss to Iowa (as you may be reading this, they should be 2-1). The shine is not off Campbell as a candidate to make the jump to a bigger job, as everyone envisions what he might be able to do with more resources than he has in Ames.

As NFL teams have shown interest and he easily surfaces as a candidate for college openings that have not always come yet (Michigan, etc.), Campbell has professed his loyalty to Iowa State. The school did what they could to keep him around, giving him a contract extension through 2028 in February. That deal will reportedly pay him $4 million per year, with a $4 million buyout if he leaves before it expires (Dec. 31, 2028).

In the realm of some huge buyouts that are out there for coaches who are on the hot seat, and especially with the years left on Campbell’s contract, a $4 million buyout is peanuts by comparison. It will not stop bigger schools from eyeing him every year, and eventually one will make it worth his while to leave Iowa State.

No one really knows what it will take to get Campbell to leave Iowa State, or if there’s a particular bigger job he’s waiting for. But if Miami winds up looking for a new football coach, Campbell has to be on any immediate list of candidates. Much like Franklin, making him turn down an offer is a solid idea.