Bears Head Coach Candidate: Matt Campbell |
There is no question that the Chicago Bears' list for their next head coach is not only long but very diverse and filled with tons of quality candidates. You need to have that if you are trying to turn an organization around, and the Bears are making sure they don't leave any stone unturned this season when it comes to finding a next head coach.
When you look up, and down the list of the coaches the Bears are either interested in or would like to get an interview with, there are plenty of names to get excited about. Ben Johnson continues to be the name that everyone is talking about, but guys like Todd Monken, Drew Petzing, and several others are the names most Bears fans are hoping to get the job. You also have some names that are not only head-scratchers but have some fans wondering how or why they were even added to the list in the first place. One of those names is Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, who the Bears are strongly considering for their head coach opening. Not related to Dan Campbell, for those wondering, Campbell is one of those Head Coaches that isn't talked about too much in the college world. Still, looking at all he has accomplished with Iowa State, you get a sense of why the Bears and potentially some other teams are willing to interview him. Despite not receiving an interview yet, Campbell is just one of 20 names officially added to the list, which is all the evidence you need about how thorough the Bears' search is. Campbell may not have the NFL coaching experience—zero up to this point—but he has had plenty of success at the college level, leading many to believe it's only a matter of time before he latches on with an NFL team. As the coach of Iowa State, Campbell has posted a 64-51 record to become the winningest coach in program history. He is coming off a 2024 Big 12 Co-Championship followed by a Pop-Tarts bowl win. His success at the college level goes well beyond Iowa State, as he is 99-66 as a college head coach and has taken home coach of the year honors twice. Seeing his name linked to the Bears may be a bit of a shot to the casual fan, but this isn't his first time flirting with the NFL, as he has previously interviewed with the New York Jets and Detroit Lions. Whether or not he did well enough with those interviews is another topic, but he has remained with Iowa State since 2016, which goes to show his dedication to not only building a team but continuing to build it to stay successful. Coming off a season where many felt the Cyclones would be in the bottom third of the Big 12, Campbell then goes out and leads his team to a co-championship, and that alone played a role in giving him a massive extension through the 2032 season. Even with that extension in place, Campbell is getting enough calls for NFL jobs, and he has started to interview once again to see if this is the time to make the jump. At 45, Campbell has been in the coaching ranks for two decades, starting in 2003 as a graduate assistant. His first big gig came in 2005 when he became the offensive coordinator for Division 3 Powerhouse Mount Union. Two years later, he was on his way to Division One, where he spent the next three years with Bowling Green, acting as the Offensive Line coach and running game coordinator. He continued to make his way through the college ranks, staying in the MAC to become the offensive line coach with Toledo before taking over as the Rockets' Head coach in 2012 and putting together an impressive four-year run. That led him to where he is today, as he took the Cyclones' job ahead of 2016 and has remained in Ames, Iowa, ever since. Compared to other candidates on this list, Campbell's fit with the Bears is an interesting one, to say the least, and it would come with a four million-dollar buyout to get him out of his contract extension. The biggest question mark surrounding him would be what he can bring to the NFL level, given his lack of experience, and what his plans are to develop Caleb Williams. Both are logical questions and are very important if the Bears want to get back on track and be taken seriously in the NFL. Given what he did with Brock Purdy during his days at Iowa State, you at least have some confidence in him developing a quarterback, which is all you can ask for from any of these candidates.
