Okay, be honest. What was your initial reaction when CMC was hired?

[SolarGarlic]

I don't remember exactly. I remember I hated his stupid curved bill. I was glad we were getting a head coach with experience, and I had read a national article on him where the writer guaranteed his future success. I think it focused on his ties to Mt. Union. All of that combined with him being a hot name at the time that everyone had going to a "bigger" program made me optimistic. I think.

I don't get a great read on these things as I'm usually way too biased and optimistic. I do remember being very underwhelmed with the Rhoads hire.

I felt way more comfortable with Campbell after what his staff was able to do with the first recruiting class on such limited time. It was clear they were up to the task and not listening to what every outsider has always said about ISU.

 

[iSUCylones]

He was my number two choice behind P.J. Fleck. Glad it worked out how it did.

 

[CyCloned]

The CPR era ending was a very dark and lonely hole..

I know there were still a lot of clone fans that wanted to keep CPR, but I was ready to get rid of him the year before when the sorta blew the KSU game. After they really blew the KSU the next year I was ready for them to start letting fans coach the games. What a mess.

I will freely admit I was not real happy with CMC after the loss to UNI, and then getting stomped by Iowa in his first two games, but after all the freshman started showing up on the starting lineup it became clear how absolutely awful the team's overall talent really was.

 

[BMWallace]

Man, going back and looking at who some of the sports media thought of as candidates is interesting. Hind sight makes it easy to see why some names where put out there like Riley, Babers, and Frost. Meanwhile some of these guys look like bullets dodged, such as Fleck and Briles.

https://cyclonefanatic.com/2015/11/williams-what-s-next-analysis-and-a-candidates-list/

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...hing-search-paul-rhoads-replacement/76227960/

https://www.widerightnattylite.com/...he-iowa-state-football-head-coaching-position

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/10-coaching-candidates-replace-paul-rhoads-iowa-state


Personally, I wanted Chris Kleiman cause I was hoping to move to a more run first power offense, but I think what we got with Campbell has been even better than what I was hoping for.

 

[jsb]

Man, going back and looking at who some of the sports media thought of as candidates is interesting. Hind sight makes it easy to see why some names where put out there like Riley, Babers, and Frost. Meanwhile some of these guys look like bullets dodged, such as Fleck and Briles.

https://cyclonefanatic.com/2015/11/williams-what-s-next-analysis-and-a-candidates-list/

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...hing-search-paul-rhoads-replacement/76227960/

https://www.widerightnattylite.com/...he-iowa-state-football-head-coaching-position

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/10-coaching-candidates-replace-paul-rhoads-iowa-state


Personally, I wanted Chris Kleiman cause I was hoping to move to a more run first power offense, but I think what we got with Campbell has been even better than what I was hoping for.

Kendall briles. Yikes.

 

[ISUCubswin]

Here is a link to the original thread that CMC was the coach.

A couple fun things I saw in the first three pages.

- Only one person seemed anti-Campbell

- Lots of people mocked him for being religious

- @cmjh10 had my favorite post. In response to a poster saying they were wishing for a more high caliber hire, he said "What were you expecting, Les Miles?"

 

[Scott34]

Holy **** PJ Fleck is insufferable to listen to talk. The guy literally says nothing of substance and takes coach speak to a whole other level.

Seems like a total douchbag that seems to want all the spotlight.

 

[inCyteful]

I told anyone that would listen after Toledo beat us at their place, that he should and would be our next coach.

Didn't know at that time he would be this good but his Toledo team was a better coached team than ours.

 

[AuH2O]

When the names first started floating, I wanted Fleck. But it didn't take too long until I saw enough interviews and got Fleck fatigue and wanted no part of him at ISU.

After that, of the realistic candidates, Campbell was my choice, but I'll admit I was very cautiously optimistic. Mainly because Toledo had been consistently good, and I think they have a great situation for a G5 team, being in a talent rich, high population state with only one P5 school that recruits at a high level nationally. Pretty much once they hired him and he started talking I became a believer.

I also remember when the coach from Wisconsin Whitewater was being thrown out as a darkhorse. While I didn't want him to get hired at ISU, I was not as adamant against it as others. I didn't realize he's at Buffalo.

 

[cyclone13]

Seems like a total douchbag that seems to want all the spotlight.

A friend who follows the Gophers commented that Fleck runs out of the tunnel first, in front of the players, instead of the players first. She thought the players have to be out first and be the focus, not the coach

 

[cyclones500]

Looking at some of those prospect lists, I remember leaning toward Fritz. I can't recall precisely my immediately reaction to Campbell hire, I was mostly optimistic. He had done well at Toledo and I thought a younger coach might have advantages.

 

[jsb]

Man, going back and looking at who some of the sports media thought of as candidates is interesting. Hind sight makes it easy to see why some names where put out there like Riley, Babers, and Frost. Meanwhile some of these guys look like bullets dodged, such as Fleck and Briles.

https://cyclonefanatic.com/2015/11/williams-what-s-next-analysis-and-a-candidates-list/

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...hing-search-paul-rhoads-replacement/76227960/

https://www.widerightnattylite.com/...he-iowa-state-football-head-coaching-position

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/10-coaching-candidates-replace-paul-rhoads-iowa-state


Personally, I wanted Chris Kleiman cause I was hoping to move to a more run first power offense, but I think what we got with Campbell has been even better than what I was hoping for.

Also a lot of those lists had the northern Illinois coach. Did he land anywhere?

 

[BMWallace]

Also a lot of those lists had the northern Illinois coach. Did he land anywhere?

Still at NIU

 

[NorthCyd]

I remember I hated his stupid curved bill.

I disregarded everything you said after this.

 

[bozclone]

I wasn't sure he was the right guy. In part because I wasn't sure he would be able to recruit in this area of the country (boy was I stupid). I did really like what he had to say at his first press conference. I was glad we didn't hire P.J. Fleck. His B.S. didn't seem to fit with Iowa State at all.

 

[cyfamily]

I dont remember my initial reaction, but i think this particular concern was immediately addressed when we saw them releasing pictures of the coaching team in their war room managing recruiting. Hitting the ground running from day 1 with a cohesive staff is a big part of how we've turned things around so quickly.

This! A coach with a plan, and a staff that understood the plan, plus the youth and enthusiasm.
I also remember his teams playing hard against us with great discipline. Glad he's a Cyclone!

 

[tolfbfan]

I’m so cynical that I never bought that story. Especially the part about telling his wife.

It doesn’t really matter if it’s true or not. It’s a good story. Now I just hope he really does like it here.

Pretty confident it is true. He would not make up something like that. Not how he rolls.

 

[tolfbfan]

He was my number two choice behind P.J. Fleck. Glad it worked out how it did.

Fleckboy is a snake oil salesman who gets a recruit in for a official and pressures the hell out of him to commit. Truth or lies don't matter, the sum game is winning with the piece of sh**.

 

[CoKane]

When I heard it was going to be Campbell replacing CPR I was fairly happy. I didn't know much about him other than that he was the head coach of Toledo when they beat a few P5 teams, that other P5 schools wanted him,and that he had Toldeo playing very well recently. I thought he could be the guy to keep us in the 5 or win range with maybe a 7 or 8 win year every so often. What I didn't expect was that he'd have us in a bowl game by year 2, or just short of the Big 12 title game in year 3. He's very much exceeded any realistic expectations so far.

 

[tolfbfan]

When the names first started floating, I wanted Fleck. But it didn't take too long until I saw enough interviews and got Fleck fatigue and wanted no part of him at ISU.

After that, of the realistic candidates, Campbell was my choice, but I'll admit I was very cautiously optimistic. Mainly because Toledo had been consistently good, and I think they have a great situation for a G5 team, being in a talent rich, high population state with only one P5 school that recruits at a high level nationally. Pretty much once they hired him and he started talking I became a believer.

I also remember when the coach from Wisconsin Whitewater was being thrown out as a darkhorse. While I didn't want him to get hired at ISU, I was not as adamant against it as others. I didn't realize he's at Buffalo.

Maybe Toledo is the only big time recruiting P5 school, maybe, but there is a constant stream of Div 1 schools flooding into Ohio. There are 24 D 1 football schools in Ohio and states that border Ohio. Then, D 1 aa or whatever its called.