New coach Rogers to Iowa State players, ‘Just give us a shot’

AMES — Iowa State’s new head football coach, Jimmy Rogers, made it 113 words into his first answer at his introductory news conference before choking up.

The topic: His journey from his native Arizona — some 15 miles from Cyclone icon Brock Purdy’s hometown — to Brookings, S.D. to play for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits roughly two decades ago.

The background: Rogers was a lightly-recruited, highly-driven linebacker prospect who talked legendary head coach John Stiegelmeier into putting him on scholarship before the 2006 season. He went on to become South Dakota State’s all-time leading tackler as a junior and senior. Rogers then spent 14 of the next 15 years as an assistant at his alma mater, and then the head coach, leading the Jackrabbits to the 2023 FCS national title.

The reason he choked up: See above, and read below.

“I went on that visit, it was minus-four (degrees), I’m from Chandler, Arizona,” Rogers recalled shortly after being introduced as the Cyclones’ 34th head coach on Monday. “I showed up. They were auctioning off a pig at halftime. It looked like a scene out of the movie ‘Hoosiers,’ or something, and I met a lot of unbelievable people.”

This is when Rogers, 38, paused to collect himself. Transitions are hard. Even when they’re deeply desired — and even when his latest change resulted in a six-year deal that will pay him $3 million annually at the offset. Rogers left South Dakota State to go to Washington State this season and led the Cougars to six wins and a bowl berth that featured three narrow losses to teams ranked in the College Football Playoff.

Rogers never intended to leave Pullman, but ISU had always been a dream destination, so when the Cyclones’ athletics director, Jamie Pollard, called him Friday as outgoing head coach Matt Campbell took the same job at Penn State, it was simply an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“None of this is easy,” Rogers said, his voice lowered.

It is, however, a prime opportunity to coach at a Power Four school based in the Midwest that Campbell and his staff took to undreamed of heights. The Cyclones’ program is also one that Rogers has followed and respected for a long time, which is why he made the move.

“My job right now is to try to cultivate a culture that is in place, but I also have to bring players in to be extremely competitive and win a championship,” said Rogers, who acknowledged that roster attrition is inevitable. “I’m hoping that number of those (who) decide to depart is really small, but I just went through a whirlwind of understanding how to replace a lot of people (at Washington State), and create a spirit in a program to do something special. So, I never thought I’d be doing it this fast, but I’m well-equipped to do this job.”

Rogers met with the team Sunday night and shared a simple message.

“I told them, ‘Just give us a shot,’” he said. “I want to get to know them and I’m not gonna expect them to immediately love me. I’m a normal human being. We have to get to know each other.”

Rogers said he’ll meet with players individually throughout the week as he assesses who fits his offensive and defensive schemes, and the players determine what’s best for them — whether that be at ISU or elsewhere.

“Some will go to Penn State,” said Rogers, who had to replace more than 70 players in his one season at Washington State. “It’s a common thing now. And if we don’t like it, let’s all change the rules. I don’t blame those kids at all, but I do think that there’s something special here, and my charge to them (Sunday) night is, ‘That feeling that you had when you chose Iowa State, it wasn’t just off of one person. It was how a community made you feel, it was how those teammates made you feel, and there was a spirit behind that in why you chose to come here, and don’t just take it for granted that you’re gonna find it at the next place — because that’s not always the case.’”

These are tough choices. Emotions are raw. And that’s likely why retracing his path back to its beginning tugged at Rogers’ heartstrings.

“I’m proud of my journey,” he said. “I’ve been really consistent, and anybody who knows me knows that."

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