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

[ca4cy]

I don't remember exactly and haven't looked through any of the old threads to see if I had a strong opinion then. I usually have the wait and see mentality, but I do know that I'm not sure I had ever been as beat down as an ISU fan (and THAT is saying something )as I was after the KSU debacle that was the final nail in the Rhoads coffin. I was just praying we'd bring in somebody that would both HAVE PRIDE in ISU AND have the ability to win. So far, so good with CMC.

I've told this story on here before, but one of the first things he did that showed me that he was, at the very least, a man of character was his re-recruitment of Carson Lensing. For those that don't know, Lensing is from Calmar, and there is not exactly a great route to get there from Ames. No matter what way you go,you're looking at close to 3 hours through quite a few small towns. Carson was a very good Class 1A Iowa football player, but he was no 5 star recruit. I'm not sure if he was even 2 star. He comes from a Cyclone family and had been extremely excited to be an ISU recruit, but that was all left in doubt when Rhoads was let go. He was getting some FCS calls, but mostly was just uncertain. I'm thinking it was less than a week after he was hired, CMC drove from Ames up to Calmar on a weeknight specifically to watch Lensing in a bball game and make sure he and his family knew that he still wanted him at ISU. Obviously Lensing was excited, but it also made quite a statement about Campbell and the program he was going to run in a small town just down the road from where Josey Jewell and Parker Hesse came from. It created an immediate buzz in NE Iowa that had been sorely missing.

I don't know the Lensing family at all, but am good friends with some folks from Calmar that have relayed the story to me about the impact it had in that community. It probably wasn't a big deal in the scheme of things, but it made me feel really good knowing that Campbell "got it" right from the get go.

 

[LarryISU]

Didn't know enough about him to have much feeling one way or the other. However, I did like the fact that he was bringing HC experience and most of his staff with him from Toledo. Let's face it, the Chizik and Rhoads formula of cherrypicking your staff from whatever coaches or grad assistants or friends you can twist an arm to get here never worked.

 

[norcalcy]

Liked the fact that he had a mentor with a winning pedigree (Mt. Union). He certainly outcoached our then staff in 2015. Liked the infustion of youthful enthusiasm. Also liked it that someone wasn't coming in here talking only about disadvantages, but had a Plan to move forward. Remember being intrigued by "Midwest Option for the Big XII" statement. Look at the recruiting map from earlier this week and you can see he is implementing that philosophy.

 

[SolarGarlic]

I disregarded everything you said after this.

I'm not advocating for a straight bill. There should be a subtle bend. He looks like he's a couple of Busch Lights from putting his fishing hook on the side of the bill.

 

[tolfbfan]

I'm not advocating for a straight bill. There should be a subtle bend. He looks like he's a couple of Busch Lights from putting his fishing hook on the side of the bill.

The hat is CMC and CMC is the hat. I always viewed it as the "We may not be the newest, hippest thing", but we are here and you will know it by what we do. Bring it.

 

[SerenityNow]

D UP CLONES didn't age well. I, on the other hand, was not a total **** so I'm pleased.

I forgot about that douche canoe. Wow, what a tool. I assume he's been permabanned.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I was underwhelmed to start but his recruiting class out the gates had me chugging kool aid pretty quick. Seeing his freshman make an impact every year is when I knew we had the real deal.

 

[Boxerdaddy]

https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/th...bout-matt-campbell.211205/page-3#post-4954535

.....I said I'd be underwhelmed but his intro presser had already won me over.

 

[OnlyCyclones]

Initial reaction was disappointment it wasn't Fleck. I thoughts Fleck's energy could be what ISU's recruiting needed, and he actually won the MAC. Campbell never won the MAC, and Toledo had been pretty decent before he got there, so I was skeptical.

That said, I was sold on Campbell within a month. He did and said all the right things, but more than that I believed him. He also landed Devon Moore the first day on the job, and the reports of his whole staff hitting the recruiting trail running excited me. How they put that first class together still blows my mind. I liked that he brought his whole staff; continuity and staff loyalty are awesome traits in a program.

 

[MeanDean]

Being a long time fan I'm always cautiously optimistic. As I was this time.

I did like the enthusiasm the staff brought with them to pull that first recruiting class together in such a short time frame. It did seem they were go-getters.

After a winter and spring of typical kool-aid reporting I was very disappointed with the start of the first season. It appeared the coaching staff were in over their heads.

At this point, of course, we're all glad he's here, seems to like being here, and is doing a great job and continuing to recruit and coach like a winner would.

I was in college when Earle Bruce was there. So seen Duncan, Criner, Walden, McCarney, Chizik and Rhoads. So you can see why I would be cautious.

 

[CyBobby]

At least he's not Rhodes

Great post my friend....The first time I heard CMC speak, all I could think was....Coach Campbell is so much better at communicating and his authenticity came through right away...

Matt Campbell is the complete polar opposite of Rhoads....Attention to detail, focus everyday on getting better and his game time adjustments are so much better than anything Paul Rhoads ever did or ever will do...Case in Point...hand the ball to Mike Warren because it said so on a piece of fricking paper.....That should have and did end Coach Paul Rhoads tenure at ISU....

.............and remember GO Cyclones

 

[CyBobby]

I've been going to games since Earle Bruce was coaching. Best hire ever. i hope he is around for many years. It's a golden age for Cyclone football, let's enjoy it. See you all on the Riverwalk next week.

I know what you mean Remo Gaggi, I have been around since Clay Stapleton was the football coach ...You are sooo right that this, right now, is the Golden Age for Cyclone Football......

 

[Acylum]

This will probably sound weird but I was sold on him when I saw the video from the first fall camp where CMC has it set up for somebody’s phone to ring during a team meeting and they are sent out to run but instead he takes them to the pool. You could really see the affection he has for his players and vice versa, and how much he enjoys what he’s doing.

 

[CySmurf]

I pleasured myself

You had ice cream? ;-)

 

[AirWalke]

To me, it was a hire that made sense and held great promise. I obviously wasn't expecting 8-win seasons by year two and three, but here we are.

 

[AlaCyclone]

I was very, very, very happy! I wanted ISU to go after a HC from the MAC instead of having an assistant cut his teeth at ISU. I live in Ohio and watch the MAC teams play, and I knew he was a quality hire. The rest is history!