Story byERIC OLSONMon, December 8, 2025 at 8:35 PM UTC·4 min readJimmy Rogers admired Iowa State football from afar as Matt Campbell was leading the Cyclones through the best 10 years in program history, and he had designs on the coaching job long before it was open. So much so, in fact, that when athletic director Jamie Pollard offered him the opportunity to be Campbell's successor, Rogers accepted before he was even told what he would be paid. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 38-year-old Rogers signed a six-year contract that initially will pay him $3 million per year, about double his salary in his one season at Washington State. The Cyclones were 72-55 and played in six bowls under Campbell, who was hired last week to replace James Franklin at Penn State. Iowa State finished 8-4 this season, with the players voting to not play in a bowl.“Matt Campbell is an unbelievable person, and I would be remiss if I didn’t bring him up,” Rogers said at his introductory news conference Monday. "What he's done for this university the last decade, how he’s built the program, build a culture where the players love their coach.
