Iowa State fires Paul Rhoads

AMES — Two-straight weeks of surrendering second-half leads and a build-up of losses in the past three seasons has culminated in Iowa State making a change in its football coach.

Paul Rhoads was fired as head coach, the school announced early Sunday afternoon, just one game short of completing his seventh season in Ames.

Rhoads has compiled a 32-54 overall record with three bowl appearances during his tenure. He is 3-8 this season and will coach his final game for Iowa State in the season finale at West Virginia next Saturday.

The firing is coming less than 24 hours after the Cyclones gave away a 21-point lead in the second half to lose 38-35 at Kansas State — the eighth-straight loss to the Wildcats. Iowa State led by seven with 1:31 left in the game and Rhoads spoke afterward about the pressure associated with coaching in losing seasons.

'In this profession on this side of the table, I wake up every day with the challenge of putting the best football team on the field that I possibly can,' Rhoads said. 'And our kids show up. We are in the profession because we like that pressure that's associated with it.'

The buyout of Rhoads' contract owes him nearly $4.6 million on a deal with a Dec. 31, 2021 ending date.

Rhoads and Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard met with Cyclones players at noon Sunday to inform them of the decision. Pollard and Rhoads did not comment Sunday afternoon, but both will address the media tomorrow at noon and 1:30 p.m., respectively.

Players somberly filed out of the Bergstrom Football Complex following the noon meeting and several took to Twitter to voice their sentiments for Rhoads.

Y'all can say what you want but that man gave me and these 16 other seniors a chance at D1 Big 12 football. For that, I am forever gratefulNovember 22, 2015

Y'all can say what you want but that man gave me and these 16 other seniors a chance at D1 Big 12 football. For that, I am forever grateful

— brett medders (@Bmeddd)

Coach Rhoads taught us more than football, he is a life coach also. Thank you for everything coach.November 22, 2015

Coach Rhoads taught us more than football, he is a life coach also. Thank you for everything coach.

— brett medders (@Bmeddd)

Not even doubting for one second how much appreciation I have for Coach Rhoads and his staff.They have given up everything for this program.November 22, 2015

Not even doubting for one second how much appreciation I have for Coach Rhoads and his staff.They have given up everything for this program.

— Mike Warren (@M_Warren4)

I'm thankful for the opportunity he gave me to play at this level. Very genuine human being and is the most selfless person I know.November 22, 2015

I'm thankful for the opportunity he gave me to play at this level. Very genuine human being and is the most selfless person I know.

— Mike Warren (@M_Warren4)

Rhoads' high mark came in 2009 — his first season — when he helped lead the Cyclones to a 7-6 record and an Insight Bowl win against Minnesota. The season was also highlighted by a 9-7 upset win at Nebraska that prompted the viral video of an emotional Rhoads' 'so proud' speech.

He took Iowa State to bowl games in 2011 and 2012 — Pinstripe Bowl and Liberty Bowl — losing to Rutgers and Tulsa, respectively, to finish 6-7 both years, but never had a winning record after 2009.

Two wins against Texas and three wins in the last five seasons against Iowa were also building blocks of the ISU program, but no win was more substantial than the upset of No. 2 Oklahoma State in 2011.

Even though the Rhoads era produced some of the program's biggest moments, the inconsistencies started becoming more apparent. Iowa State is 8-27 since 2013 and has three losses in 2015 by a combined 10 points — in addition to being tied with now 11-0 Iowa in the final three minutes.

Rhoads attempted to re-energize the program after parting ways with former offensive coordinator Mark Mangino seven games into the season. The Cyclones beat Texas 24-0 the following week and the offense started to find its identity under coordinator Todd Sturdy, but two deflating losses to Kansas State and Oklahoma State, plus a thrashing defeat against Oklahoma, have left the program sputtering.

Including Iowa State, 12 FBS head coaching jobs are open as of Sunday and Iowa State will be left looking for a replacement with the mid-year junior college signing day on Dec. 16 looming.

Monroe Community College defensive back Kamal Hardy, who committed to the Cyclones in July, reacted to the news Sunday afternoon and received a scholarship offer from Purdue shortly after.

Not the kind of news I want to wake up to SmhNovember 22, 2015

Not the kind of news I want to wake up to Smh

— Kamal L. Hardy (@Kamal__Hardy)

Rhoads will finish his tenure with a chance to be tied for fifth on the all-time wins mark at Iowa State and is the tied for third all-time in years as ISU coach.