With improved special teams in 2022 we would have won at least 6 games and been bowling for the 6th year in a row, but that's not what happened and special teams was a disaster for the ISU football team, once again. So, for the hell of it, lets pretend Campbell hires a special teams coordinator this off-season - which I think is a very likely scenario. We have 3 open coaching positions; Strength coach, OL coach and essentially a third opening we can be open to something new with. The strength coach is what it is, the OL coach is what it is - and usually OL coaches aren't also a special teams coordinator, so that leaves us with our third open coaching position. Right now Scheelhouse is the OC/WR/RB coach, so ideally we would hire a special teams coordinator that would also coach WR's or RB's and take one of those positions away from Scheelhouse.
I don't know who all Campbell is connected to so I'm going to toss out some names that I could potentially see being options for us.
1. IMO, my #1 guy would be Brian Haines from App State. He's from WV but had spent a good majority of his career in Ohio so he could be connected to Campbell somehow. He's currently the special teams coordinator and RB's coach at App State.
Named a 2021 candidate for the Broyles Award that goes to the nation’s top assistant, Haines coached a running back group that helped App State extend its FBS-leading streak of consecutive years with a 1,000-yard rusher to 10 and directed a special teams group that included kicker Chandler Staton, who received first-team All-America recognition, and Jalen Virgil, who had two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
App State ranked 16th nationally in overall special teams based on the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) that combines kickoff return, kickoff, punt return, punt and field goal efficiency into one overall rating.
App State’s two leading backs (Nate Noel, Camerun Peoples) both rushed for more than 900 yards while ranking No. 2 and No. 3 in rushing yards per game in the Sun Belt, and that came a year after the Mountaineers were the only FBS team in the country to have four running backs rush for at least 500 yards.
appstatesports.com
2. Adam Scheier brings 26 years of collegiate coaching experience into 2022, including the last 22 working with special teams. Prior to coming to Temple, Scheier spent two seasons as Rutgers' special teams coordinator. The Scarlet Knights ranked 7th in the ESPN Special Teams Efficiency Ratings in 2020 and improved to No. 4 in 2021.
This guy has been a stud everywhere he's been and has coached WR's and RB's before but it's been a little while. He most recently has been a ST Coordinator while working with the TE's at Temple.
owlsports.com
3. Erik Link - he's a Drake graduate and has been on the ISU staff before. He's currently the Special Teams coordinator and TE's coach at Mizzou and has coached Andrew Mevis's brother (who is an All American Kicker) the last few years. He was also previously at App State where their special teams units were very impressive.
Under Link's guidance, Appalachian State ranked in the nation's top 30 in numerous special teams categories, including a national-best seven blocked kicks (five kicks/two punts), without allowing a single blocked kick or punt. The 2019 Mountaineers also ranked in the following special teams categories: punt return coverage (15th NCAA/1st Sun Belt – 3.65 avg.), kickoff returns (16th NCAA/1st Sun Belt – 24.4 avg.) and kickoff return coverage (28th NCAA/3rd Sun Belt – 18.91 avg.).
mutigers.com
It would be in ISU and Campbell's best interest to fill the third coaching position with someone who could not only take a position group away from our first year OC, but also someone who could double as a special teams coordinator because the coaching-special-teams-by-committee approach he's tried, isn't working. Also, not shockingly, the teams with the top 9 special teams units in 2022 all have special teams coordinators. Make the right move, Matt!
I don't know who all Campbell is connected to so I'm going to toss out some names that I could potentially see being options for us.
1. IMO, my #1 guy would be Brian Haines from App State. He's from WV but had spent a good majority of his career in Ohio so he could be connected to Campbell somehow. He's currently the special teams coordinator and RB's coach at App State.
Named a 2021 candidate for the Broyles Award that goes to the nation’s top assistant, Haines coached a running back group that helped App State extend its FBS-leading streak of consecutive years with a 1,000-yard rusher to 10 and directed a special teams group that included kicker Chandler Staton, who received first-team All-America recognition, and Jalen Virgil, who had two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
App State ranked 16th nationally in overall special teams based on the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) that combines kickoff return, kickoff, punt return, punt and field goal efficiency into one overall rating.
App State’s two leading backs (Nate Noel, Camerun Peoples) both rushed for more than 900 yards while ranking No. 2 and No. 3 in rushing yards per game in the Sun Belt, and that came a year after the Mountaineers were the only FBS team in the country to have four running backs rush for at least 500 yards.
Brian Haines - Football Coach - App State Athletics
Brian Haines joined head coach Shawn Clark's staff as the running backs coach/special teams coordinator with the Mountaineers in January 2020. During the 2024
2. Adam Scheier brings 26 years of collegiate coaching experience into 2022, including the last 22 working with special teams. Prior to coming to Temple, Scheier spent two seasons as Rutgers' special teams coordinator. The Scarlet Knights ranked 7th in the ESPN Special Teams Efficiency Ratings in 2020 and improved to No. 4 in 2021.
This guy has been a stud everywhere he's been and has coached WR's and RB's before but it's been a little while. He most recently has been a ST Coordinator while working with the TE's at Temple.

Adam Scheier - Special Teams Coordinator / Tight Ends Coach - Staff Directory - Temple
ADAM SCHEIER Hometown Bronx, N.Y. College Dartmouth Family Wife: Erica Children: daughters Callie, Riley, and Maddie; son Brady Coaching Experience Year Scho...
3. Erik Link - he's a Drake graduate and has been on the ISU staff before. He's currently the Special Teams coordinator and TE's coach at Mizzou and has coached Andrew Mevis's brother (who is an All American Kicker) the last few years. He was also previously at App State where their special teams units were very impressive.
Under Link's guidance, Appalachian State ranked in the nation's top 30 in numerous special teams categories, including a national-best seven blocked kicks (five kicks/two punts), without allowing a single blocked kick or punt. The 2019 Mountaineers also ranked in the following special teams categories: punt return coverage (15th NCAA/1st Sun Belt – 3.65 avg.), kickoff returns (16th NCAA/1st Sun Belt – 24.4 avg.) and kickoff return coverage (28th NCAA/3rd Sun Belt – 18.91 avg.).
Erik Link - Special Teams Coordinator - Staff Directory - University of Missouri Athletics
A 15+-year coaching veteran, Erik Link joined the Mizzou staff in December, 2019 as Special Teams Coordinator. He added tight ends coach to his title in January
It would be in ISU and Campbell's best interest to fill the third coaching position with someone who could not only take a position group away from our first year OC, but also someone who could double as a special teams coordinator because the coaching-special-teams-by-committee approach he's tried, isn't working. Also, not shockingly, the teams with the top 9 special teams units in 2022 all have special teams coordinators. Make the right move, Matt!