Iowa State signs Matt Campbell to new 8-year contract to coach football

AMES — After leading the Iowa State football to its first 10-win season in the program’s 133-year history and its seventh bowl game in nine seasons, Matt Campbell has agreed to a new eight-year contract that will keep him on the Cyclone sideline through December 31, 2032.

ISU President Dr. Wendy Wintersteen and Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard made the announcement Wednesday.

“Coach Campbell has built a special football program at Iowa State; one that all Cyclone fans can take great pride in,” Wintersteen said in a release.

The Cyclones started his season 7-0, their best start since 1938 and first 4-0 start in Big 12 play. They ended the regular season 10-3 and finished in a four-way tie for first place Big 12 standings at 7-2, earning a berth in the conference championship game.

The third-longest tenured coach in school history behind Dan McCarney (1995-2006) and Clay Stapleton (1958-67), ISU’s 20-0 shutout victory at Houston earlier this season was Campbell’s 57th in Ames and allowed him to surpass McCarney as the program’s all-time wins leader.

He owns a 63-51 (. 553) record in nine seasons as ISU’s head coach and stands 98-66 (. 598) in his 13th season as an FBS head coach overall.

“It has been rewarding to see the amazing impact Coach Campbell, and his staff, have had over the past decade on our university, athletics department and the young men in our football program,” Pollard said in the release. “Given all the uncertainty currently facing college athletics, it was critical that we moved quickly to solidify the future of our football program.

“Matt is the perfect fit for Iowa State University and I am thrilled he wants to continue to lead our program. Leadership continuity is essential to any organization’s long-term success.”

Campbell is the only ISU coach to guide the program to five-straight winning seasons (2017-21) and he owns 51 percent of its 89 all-time Big 12 victories while leading the Cyclones to seven of their eight winning conference seasons in the Big 12 era. He also owns school records for conference victories (8-1 in 2020) and he broke his own school record for overall wins in 2024 (10-3).

“I look forward to finishing the 2024 season strong while continuing to grow this program and pursuing excellence in the classroom and on the field,” Campbell said.