Campbell adding Toledo assistants to Iowa State staff

AMES — Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell spoke of loyalty to his former staff when he was introduced as the Cyclones' new coach.

He stayed true to that message when it was announced Tuesday he would be adding Toledo assistants — and a former Toledo assistant — to his staff in Ames.

Iowa State announced the hiring of Tom Manning, D.K. McDonald, Alex Golesh and John Kuceyeski to Campbell's first ISU staff. Manning will serve as the offensive line coach, McDonald will be cornerbacks coach and Golesh will be tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Kuceyeski was named director of scouting. Campbell confirmed ISU running backs coach Lou Ayeni will stay on staff in the same role during his introductory press conference.

'We're going to bring an energy to this program,' Campbell said Monday. 'The ability to have that energy, the ability to recruit and the ability to love kids, those things are really important to me. We're going to do a really good job of finding those qualities.'

Manning, who played with Campbell at Division III Mount Union, spent the last four seasons as the Rockets' offensive line coach. Toledo replaced five starters on the line in 2015 and was ranked in the top-30 this season in rushing offense and top-five in sacks allowed.

'I can't tell you how excited I am to be here at Iowa State with Coach Campbell,' Manning said in a release. 'Hearing about Coach Campbell's experiences at Iowa State, I knew this was also the right place for our family. The people, you can tell, make the university. That's the thing that we are excited about the most. Working with the people.'

McDonald was the Rockets' cornerbacks coach the last four years.

'D.K. is a great recruiter and did a nice job with our defensive backfield at Toledo,' Campbell said in a release. 'We made great improvements in the secondary in the three years that he was there and will continue to do a tremendous job at Iowa State.'

McDonald was a part of a defense that was first in the MAC in scoring defense at 21.1 points per game while guiding cornerback Cheatham Norrils to 13 pass breakups. Norrils had 60 tackles and three interceptions during his senior season under McDonald's tutelage.

'Coach Campbell is a great, energetic young coach who, most importantly, cares about the kids.' McDonald said in the release. 'What Coach Campbell said about Iowa State sold me. Buildings are buildings and facilities are facilities, but being around great people was important to me and my family.'

Golesh spent the last four years at Illinois, where he served in different roles as running backs coach, tight ends coach, special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator. He was also an assistant alongside Campbell at Toledo from 2009-11.

Manning and Golesh have also developed reputations as successful recruiters during their time as assistants.

'I've worked with Matt before and I am beyond ecstatic to be a member of his coaching staff at Iowa State,' Golesh said. 'Honestly, I've never met anybody that can lead a group of men, whether it's the players or staff, like Matt can. He's just a first-class human being and leader.'

Kuceyeski was on Campbell's staff at Toledo from 2013-15 as the director of football operations and director of high school relations.

'John is a great recruiter, a son of a really successful Chicago football coach and has a great understanding of what we look for in each position,' Campbell said in a release. 'He will do a great job leading our scouting department at Iowa State.'

Kuceyeski was a student manager and undergraduate assistant at Penn State before moving to Northwestern, where he spent three seasons with the program. He was also at Western Michigan briefly as the director of player personnel and on-campus recruiting coordinator before going to Toledo.

'I couldn't be more thrilled to be here in Ames with Coach Campbell,' Kuceyeski said. 'Ames is such a great place to recruit to. Our staff already has a great camaraderie and it's going to be a special journey here the next few months and obviously years to come.'

Campbell said he would interview existing ISU assistant coaches in his first two days, although it is unlikely anyone other than Ayeni will be retained. None of the 2015 ISU assistants — other than Ayeni — are currently listed on the cyclones.com football coaching page.

Reports indicate Campbell will also bring offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jason Candle from Toledo as well as linebackers coach Tyson Veidt. Toledo strength and conditioning coach Rudy Wade is also reported to be joining the Cyclones in the same role he held with the Rockets.

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