(Ames, IA) — That was fast. Friday morning Matt Campbell was the Head Coach for the Iowa St. football team but by the end of the day he was heading to Penn St. and the Cyclones have announced his replacement is Jimmy Rogers. Rogers has agreed to a six year contract with ISU and comes to Ames from Washington St. where he guided the Cougars to a 6-6 record in his lone season. It has been a meteoric rise to a major job for Rogers who was hired by his alma mater South Dakota St. in 2023 where he coached for two seasons and is 33-9 overall between the Jackrabbits and Cougars.
While Penn St.’s search was one of the longest in recent memory, Iowa St.’s search was one of the shortest. “Jimmy Rogers is a rising star in college athletics who has very strong ties to the Midwest both as a player and as a coach,” says Iowa St. Athletic Director Jamie Pollard. “He has been on my short-list ever since the first time I met him. He immediately impressed me with his interest in Iowa State University and told me during our first visit several years ago that he wanted to be the next head coach at Iowa State.
“Since our initial meeting, I have stayed in close contact with him and have been very impressed with his work ethic and understanding of what it takes to be successful at Iowa State,” he added. “He is a proven winner who has demonstrated throughout his career that he will fit our culture.”
Rogers is just the fourth of the Cougars’ 35 head football coaches to lead WSU to a bowl game in their first season on the sideline in Pullman, three of the bowl-bound Cougars’ six losses came at the hands of teams ranked in the College Football Playoff Selection Committee’s penultimate rankings—24-21 at No. 6 Ole Miss, 22-20 at No. 17 Virginia and 24-20 at No. 25 James Madison.
“My family and I are excited to be joining the Iowa State University community and the Cyclone football program,” Rogers said. “Iowa State has been one of the nation’s top programs for the last decade and we look forward to building upon its upward trajectory. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Jamie Pollard has given me to lead the Cyclones.
“From the administration, to the alumni and current student-athletes, this University has everything needed to compete at the highest level in college football,” he added. “I am honored to be given this opportunity and responsibility and cannot wait to get started!.”
Rogers is a Chandler, AZ native and his wife, Haley, a native of Michell, S.D., have two children, a daughter, Reese, and son, Trace.
Jimmy Rogers’ Head Coaching Record
Year School Record Conference/Finish Postseason
2023 South Dakota State 15-0 8-0/1st FCS Champions
2024 South Dakota State 12-3 7-1/T-1st FCS Semifinals
2025 Washington State 6-6 0-0 Bowl TBA
TOTALS 3 Seasons 33-9 (.786) 15-1 (.938)
Jimmy Rogers’ Coaching Experience
2025 Head Coach Washington State
2023-24 Head Coach South Dakota State
2022 Defensive Coordinator South Dakota State
2019-21 Co-Defensive Coordinator/Asst. Head Coach/Linebackers South Dakota State
2013-18 Assistant Coach/Linebackers South Dakota State
2011-12 Graduate Assistant Coach Florida Atlantic
2010-11 Graduate Assistant Coach South Dakota State
