Blog Article
Iowa State Hired Jimmy Rogers 72 Hours After Losing Matt Campbell. Now He Has to Replace a Legend With One Year of FBS Experience”
Iowa State moved fast.
Matt Campbell took the Penn State job, and within days, the Cyclones had their guy. Jimmy Rogers, fresh off a 6-6 debut season at Washington State, now inherits a program that made the Big 12 Championship Game and became a legitimate conference contender under Campbell. The question everyone in Ames is asking: Can a 38-year-old coach with one FBS season under his belt sustain what Campbell built?
Here’s our breakdown.
The Resume
Rogers has won everywhere he’s been.
At South Dakota State, he went 27-3 over two seasons, capturing an FCS national championship in 2023 and reaching the semifinals in 2024. His overall head-coaching record is 33-9. That’s a .786 winning percentage, the kind of number that gets attention from Power Four athletic directors scanning the FCS ranks for the next big thing.
But there’s a caveat.
His lone FBS season produced a 6-6 record at Washington State, a program navigating life as a Pac-2 orphan with legitimate roster and scheduling challenges. Rogers rebuilt that roster with Jackrabbit transfers and freshmen, secured bowl eligibility with a late-season win over Oregon State, and showed an ability to self-correct when early offensive struggles threatened to derail the season.
Not spectacular. But not a disaster either.
What He Does Well
Defense is his calling card.
Rogers built dominant defensive units at South Dakota State, and that reputation followed him to Pullman. He understands how to scheme, develop players within a system, and create an identity on that side of the ball. For a Big 12 that has become increasingly offense-heavy, a defense-first coach could provide an interesting counterbalance.
Key strengths:
- Defensive scheme expertise and player development
- Deep Midwest recruiting ties and familiarity with Big 12 culture
- Youth and energy (38 years old) for a program needing momentum
- Demonstrated ability to adjust mid-season when things aren’t working
The Concerns
One year of FBS experience is a legitimate worry.
The jump from FCS to FBS is significant. The jump from FBS to Power Four is another leap entirely. Rogers now faces higher-level competition, greater media scrutiny, bigger recruiting battles, and the weight of following a coach who transformed Iowa State from a doormat into a contender. That’s a lot of pressure for someone still learning the FBS landscape.
Risk factors:
- Limited Power Four head coaching experience
- Iowa State’s financial resources lag behind Big 12 peers
- Transfer portal management becomes critical with expected roster attrition
- Following a legend creates unrealistic short-term expectations
The Washington State Tape
His 2025 season in Pullman tells us something important.
Rogers can keep a program afloat in adverse conditions. Washington State was a mess when he arrived: roster turnover, scheduling chaos, conference uncertainty. He didn’t elevate them to contender status, but he didn’t let the program crater either. Early offensive struggles (conservative run emphasis, quarterback questions, talent mismatches) were eventually addressed through real-time adjustments.
That adaptability matters at Iowa State.
The Breakdown
Here’s how Rogers stacks up across key categories:
| CATEGORY | STRENGTHS | CONCERNS |
| Record | 33-9 overall, FCS national champion | Only 6-6 at FBS level |
| Defense | Highly regarded scheme and development | Must adapt to Big 12 offenses |
| Experience | Midwest familiarity, strong recruiting network | Limited Power Four head coaching |
| Program Fit | Youthful energy, cultural alignment | Succeeding a legend, portal challenges |
The Bottom Line
This hire grades out as a B-minus.
Iowa State moved quickly to secure a coach with a proven ability to win at every stop. Rogers brings defensive credibility, Midwest roots, and the energy of a young coach on the rise. But he’s stepping into one of the toughest situations in college football, replacing a beloved coach, managing portal attrition, and competing with limited resources in an increasingly arms-race conference.
What to watch:
- Can he retain enough talent through the portal to remain competitive in Year 1?
- Will his defensive identity translate against Big 12 offensive firepower?
- How patient will the Iowa State administration and fanbase be?
Year 1 will likely be stabilization mode, defense-first, mid-tier results, and a lot of learning. The real test comes in Years 2 and 3, when we’ll see if Rogers can recruit at the Power Four level and build something sustainable.
The pressure is real. But so is the opportunity.
