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Matt Campbell

2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy splitting up, seven teams have made coaching changes so far during this year’s cycle. Here are the candidates connected to each of the now-HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-20-25 (9:00am CT)

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Bears Expected To Conduct HC Interview With Matt Campbell

January 8th, 2025 at 6:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears’ head coaching search includes a number of names from various backgrounds in the NFL. At least one candidate currently in the college ranks is set to receive a look as well.

Matt Campbell is expected to interview with the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports. Campbell remains in place as head coach at Iowa State, the posting he had during his most recent NFL interview process. The 45-year-old met with the Lions as part of their 2021 head coaching search.

Detroit reportedly made Campbell an eight-year, $68.5MM offer, but indications emerged soon after that it was only Dan Campbell who was ever offered the job. The latter is still in place, of course, but the Bears’ efforts of catching up to the Lions includes their ongoing search for a new coach. General manager Ryan Poles is leading the way, and he recently confirmed a wide range of coaches will be considered.

“It’s going to be a diverse group,” Poles said (via Biggs). “This will be different backgrounds from offense, defense, special teams, college, pro. We’re turning every stone to make sure we’re doing this the right way. There’s going to be some names that you don’t expect that are going to surprise you because we’re digging deeper than we ever have before.”

Considering the prior interest he drew, though, Campbell is of course not a complete unknown as far as head coaching candidates go. He took on Toledo’s full-time HC position in 2012 and spent five years with the program, posting a 35-15 record. Campbell then moved on to Iowa State, where he has finished with a losing record only twice in nine seasons. The Cyclones’ best campaign to date under Campbell came in 2024, where they went 11-3 en route to the Big 12 title game. It will be interesting to see if that success yields renewed NFL interest aside from Chicago.

Via PFR’s head coaching tracker, here is an updated look at the Bears’ search:

Lions Never Offered HC Job To Matt Campbell?

May 21st, 2021 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

This week, it was rumored that the Lions offered an eight-year, $68.5MM deal to Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. But, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions never put an offer on the table. 

Furthermore, Birkett hears that the Cyclones coach only spoke to the Lions once during the process. And, while other notable names were tied to the job, new HC Dan Campbell was the only candidate to ever receive an offer to be the Lions’ head coach.

It’s possible that something got lost in the game of telephone. Or, perhaps Matt Campbell’s camp is looking to increase the coach’s buzz. For what it’s worth, Dan said he sensed that the Lions were extremely bullish on Matt.

“Just in regards to the head coach search, how I ended up here, one of things would be that I told my agent, Rick Smith, I said make sure that they think I’m Matt Campbell, so I think that’s how this has really worked out great for me,” the Lions head coach said (via Birkett). “So now that I’m in the seat, I am Dan Campbell. But I do know this, you can’t go wrong with a Campbell.”

In addition to the Campbells, the Lions were also connected to Darrell Bevell, Eric Bieniemy, Todd Bowles, Marvin Lewis, Urban Meyer, Robert Saleh, and Arthur Smith.

Lions Offered Matt Campbell $68MM+ Deal

May 20th, 2021 at 12:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have their new head coach in Dan Campbell. But, before they inked the former Saints assistant to a six-year contract, they offered an eight-year, $68.5MM megadeal to Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, according to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports (on Twitter). 

[RELATED: Lions Sign Penei Sewell]

M. Campbell was a hot commodity in this last cycle, starting with early interest from the Jets. He was an early Gang Green favorite after Adam Gase got canned, but he declined to meet with owner Christopher Johnson and GM Joe Douglas. Instead of going to New York or Detroit, the Cyclones coach stayed put to build on last year’s 9-3 record.

Matt Campbell has been on the NFL radar for a while. The Browns, for example, had him on the list before they hired Freddie Kitchens in 2018. Hearing the footsteps, Iowa State locked up their young HC with a lucrative extension through the 2025 season.

The Lions haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, so they were willing to invest heavily in their next head coach. They might not have landed Matt, but they firmly believe that Dan can turn things around, as shown by his six-year commitment.

2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2021 at 1:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Exiting the regular season, six teams are searching for new head coaches. That number is up from last season but not quite as high as 2019, though there may well be more vacancies that emerge during the playoffs.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 1-27-21 (7:05pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Matt Campbell Declines Interview With Jets

January 10th, 2021 at 7:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Jan. 10: Campbell will not, in fact, take an interview with the Jets, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic (via Twitter). As Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network recently said, Campbell will only leave Iowa State for a perfect situation, with the implication being that the New York job does not qualify as such.

Jan. 9: Rumored to be on the NFL radar for multiple offseasons, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell looks set to interview for at least one job in the near future.

Jets owner Christopher Johnson and GM Joe Douglas are each high on Campbell, and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora notes the Jets are expected to meet with him soon. Campbell has been on the Jets’ radar for a while, and in Douglas’ first coaching search, the team is casting a wide net. This would mark Campbell’s first known NFL interview.

Prior to hiring Adam Gase, the Jets reached out to Campbell in early 2019 to see about an interview then. Campbell, however, declined the request. He signed an extension with Iowa State later that year. However, the 41-year-old coach is now intrigued by the prospect of making the college-to-NFL jump.

Campbell has authored four straight winning seasons in Ames, Iowa. His Cyclones rebuild peaked during this pandemic-altered season, with the team ending its season with a 9-3 record. Despite the pandemic trimming a game off Iowa State’s schedule, the nine wins matched a program record.

Campbell, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and former national championship-winning HC Urban Meyer are the latest coaches on the college-to-pro radar. Were one of them to make the move, this would mark the third straight offseason a college coach landed a pro job — after Kliff Kingsbury and Matt Rhule. The Jets were interested in Rhule before hiring Gase, but the now-Panthers HC opted to stay at Baylor in 2019.

Jets Plan To Fire Adam Gase

January 2nd, 2021 at 5:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The expected firing of Adam Gase is on track to transpire after Week 17, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. While Gase said earlier this week he has not been notified he will be fired, the Jets’ 0-13 start essentially ensured he would not be back.

This will mark Gase’s second ouster in three seasons; the Dolphins fired him after the 2018 season. He has gone 9-22 with the Jets. Although the former successful OC led his team to upset wins over two potential playoff squads and helped the Jets hire GM Joe Douglas, the past two Jets seasons have involved controversy and continued losing.

As far as a replacement goes, the Jets appear to be looking at a wide array of candidates. Current assistants Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs OC), Matt Eberflus (Colts DC), Don Martindale (Ravens DC), Arthur Smith (Titans OC) and Brandon Staley (Rams DC) are set to be considered. As are college coaches Jim Harbaugh (Michigan), Matt Campbell (Iowa State) and Dan Mullen (Florida), according to NFL.com. Harbaugh, a previous Jets candidate, appears a long shot. The former 49ers coach is finalizing an extension to stay at Michigan, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweets.

After leading the Dolphins to the playoffs in his first season as head coach, Gase has seen his teams miss the past four postseason brackets. In New York, he feuded with previous GM Mike Maccagnan and was consistently connected to dissatisfaction with Le’Veon Bell‘s contract and performance. Two-plus months after cutting Bell, the Jets will move on from Gase. They were prepared to fire Gase earlier this week had the Browns upset not occurred, according to NFL.com.

The Jets already fired Gregg Williams after the polarizing defensive coordinator made a play call that cost the Jets an excellent chance at beating the Raiders. Gase and Williams feuded as well. Jets ownership sought Williams, which helped lead to then-Baylor HC Matt Rhule declining to leave the college ranks in 2019. Rhule ended up in Carolina a year later.

Gase’s Jets offense rarely generated much excitement. The team has struggled to build an offensive line and did not equip Sam Darnold well at the skill positions. As a result, the former No. 3 overall pick has regressed. And during the months in which the Jets were connected to Trevor Lawrence, Darnold frequently landed in trade rumors. As Darnold’s third season concludes, his status is in limbo. The Jets are set to hold the No. 2 overall pick in April and could well look at a quarterback to begin the post-Gase era.

Coaching Notes: Campbell, Smith, Dolphins

November 13th, 2020 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to hiring Adam Gase, the Jets requested an interview with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. The Browns were interested as well, before promoting Freddie Kitchens. Instead, the Big 12 leader signed an extension to stay in Ames. But Campbell is intrigued by the prospect of coaching in the NFL, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Known for his offensive acumen and the revitalization effort he authored at Iowa State — which has started 5-2 this season — Campbell could be a more serious contender to fill one of the league’s coaching vacancies next year. Since the last time he popped up on the NFL radar, Kliff Kingsbury and Matt Rhule have made the jump. The Cyclones’ 40-year-old HC may be next.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Unsurprisingly, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has emerged as a coaching candidate. “A lot of intrigue” surrounds Tennessee’s second-year OC, Pelissero adds. Smith, 38, did not receive looks last season, but Ryan Tannehill‘s sustained success — Thursday night’s underwhelming performance notwithstanding — after a mediocre Miami career has turned heads. Smith figures to receive interview requests in 2021.
  • Despite the NFL’s recent trend of preferring offense-oriented coaches, Brandon Staley is viewed by some as a future head coach. The Rams plucked Staley off Vic Fangio‘s Broncos staff, making the 37-year-old assistant their defensive coordinator. He is viewed by current and former colleagues as a future HC, Pelissero adds. However, teams may want to see Staley be a coordinator for more than one season. Prior to his Los Angeles arrival, he served as outside linebackers coach in Chicago and Denver.
  • Shifting to current coaching situations, a few teams will be without staffers Sunday. The Dolphins will be hit hardest on this front. After placing Christian Wilkins and Kyle Van Noy on their reserve/COVID-19 list, the Dolphins will be without quarterbacks coach Robby Brown, defensive line coach Marion Hobby, outside linebackers coach Austin Clark and quality control staffer Kolby Smith against the Chargers because of coronavirus protocols, per ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe (on Twitter). Running backs coach Eric Studesville and former Texans OC George Godsey will assist Chan Gailey with QB responsibilities.
  • The Bengals and Steelers have a combined 10 players on their respective COVID lists. The Bengals will also be without wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell because of “COVID-19 reasons,” the team announced. Assistant wideouts coach Troy Walters will take on more responsibility.

Iowa State’s Matt Campbell Signs Extension

December 3rd, 2019 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

Head coach Matt Campbell has agreed to a contract extension through the 2025 season, Iowa State announced. The deal keeps one of the NFL’s hottest young coaching candidates off the radar – at least, for the time being.

Last year, Campbell was said to be on the Browns’ radar before they hired Freddie Kitchens. The Jets also reportedly requested an interview with the Cyclones head coach, though he turned them down.

This year, Campbell was expected to get some more NFL looks, but his new contract probably means that he won’t be in the mix for the 2020 season. Beyond that, a jump to the pros remains possible, depending on the size and scope of his buyout clause.

“I greatly appreciate Dr. (Wendy) Wintersteen’s and (Iowa State AD) Jamie’s (Pollard) proactive approach to extending my contract,” Campbell said in the press release. “My staff and I will be on the road this week actively recruiting the next class of Cyclones and it is important for recruits and their families to understand my commitment to Iowa State.”

The Cyclones will play in a bowl game for the third straight year with the opportunity to hit three consecutive eight-win seasons for just the second time in school history.

Coaching Rumors: Gase, Broncos, Dolphins, Arians, Buccaneers, Jets, Cardinals

December 31st, 2018 at 1:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Adam Gase might’ve been the most surprising firing of Black Monday, and he likely won’t be out of a job too long. Gase has “heard from the majority of teams with an HC opening” within hours of being let go by the Dolphins, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), who notes that Gase will begin taking head coaching interviews this week. While Gase has been linked to numerous jobs, including the Browns’ opening, don’t expect a reunion in Denver. Although he was the Broncos’ offensive coordinator during their peak with Peyton Manning, GM John Elway said at his press conference today Gase isn’t a candidate “at this time”, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Gase got the Dolphins job because of his work with the Broncos, but there have long been rumors of bad blood between him and Elway. Elway reportedly told interested teams he didn’t think Gase was ready to be a head coach years ago, and Gase ran up the score on the Bronocs as revenge last year, kicking an onside kick while up 24 points late in the game. While it won’t be in Denver, at this point it would be a surprise if Gase isn’t a head coach somewhere next season.

Here’s more on the coaching carousel:

  • Speaking of Gase, the Dolphins will be undergoing a complete rebuild as they look for his replacement. They shook up their front office earlier today and are likely to move on from Ryan Tannehill this offseason. As for their next coach, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald “would be shocked” if Dan Campbell doesn’t get an interview (Twitter link). Campbell, the Saints’ assistant head coach, has already been requested by the Browns and is expected to be a hot candidate. He was the Dolphins’ interim coach in 2015 after they fired Joe Philbin four games into the season. Miami has also put in a request to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores, according to Schefter (Twitter link), adding to a long list of teams looking to talk to Flores.
  • While former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has repeatedly said the only job he would come out of retirement for would be the Browns’, he might be having a change of heart. The legendary offensive coach told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link), that he knows Buccaneers GM Jason Licht, and “would listen” if the Bucs came calling. Tampa is almost certainly looking for an offensive coach to revitalize Jameis Winston‘s career, and Arians would be a very intriguing option.
  • The Jets have made their first two interview requests as they look to replace Todd Bowles. The team is looking to talk to Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link), and also wants an interview with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). Rapsheet also tweets the team requested an interview with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, but Campbell denied the request. Finally, Rapoport notes in a fourth tweet that the Jets are one of two new teams interested in former Lions coach Jim Caldwell, along with the Browns. All of these requests are in line with the thinking that the Jets are interested in bringing in an offensive coach to work with Sam Darnold.
  • The Jets aren’t the only team interested in Bieniemy, as Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports tweets that the Buccaneers and Dolphins have reached out as well. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network added in a tweet that the Cardinals have also requested an interview, bringing the number of teams interested in Bieniemy to four. Given the success that members of the Andy Reid coaching tree has had in recent years, it’s not surprising he’s a sought after name.
  • Speaking of the Cardinals, the team has requested Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor, Rapoport tweets. The Cardinals are in desperate need of an offensive coach who can help Josh Rosen after Rosen’s woeful rookie campaign, and Taylor is very highly thought of in some circles. Rapoport notes the team has “been doing work on him”, so this seems like more than just a courtesy interview.
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