I think the next steps are to "fill in the margins" such as building depth of talent, establishing a mental foundation that fuels confidence that can't be shaken by an interception on a game-ending play (otherwise known as tradition), flesh out development and recruiting plans for the coaches, and probably several more areas that need to be shored up to build a consistently high-performing football program. I think the progress the team has ade is real, but fragile; one or two more Co-vid incidents or an injury to one of our key players could have set us back substantially.
Matt Campbell has done well but I'm sure he would agree that time-wise we're quite a ways away from where we need to be. I'm a disciple of the 80/20 Rule, that is 80% of the progress is achieved in the first 20% of time. Therefore, the final 20% necessary to finish the project properly will take four times as long. You don't see much but if you don't do it, the whole thing can fall apart.
I don't see this as a negative or downer. I think that is what I hear Matt Campbell say which would mean that he wants to be in Ames until it's done properly. In my reckoning, that could be up to 15 years.
I'm 76, let's hope I don't see Matt leave before he's done it right.