Ryan Poles promised that some of the coaching candidates the Chicago Bears planned to meet with would be surprises. He was a man of his word. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune revealed that the team will have an interview with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. This is certainly interesting since the organization hasn’t hired a coach directly out of college since 1930. Campbell has been a head coach in the collegiate ranks since 2011. In that time, he has only two losing seasons with five bowl victories. His 11-3 record this year with Iowa State is the best in program history.
The wide net the Chicago Bears are casting in search of the 19th coach in team history includes at least one college coach.
The team is expected to meet with Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, according to multiple sources.
Campbell, 45, has been the Cyclones coach since 2016, and his name has popped up previously for jobs not only at more traditional college powers, but also in the NFL. The Detroit Lions were rumored to be pushing to hire him in 2021.
Campbell is still only 45 years old and has a deep background as an offensive line coach. It becomes easier to understand the Bears’ interest the deeper you look. What stands out about him is his ability to create a pipeline to the NFL. Iowa State has produced several standout pros in recent years like Will McDonald, Breece Hall, Brocky Purdy, and David Montgomery.
There are worthwhile concerns. For all his success in college, he’s never spent a single minute in the NFL. It is impossible to know whether his coaching would translate to a locker room filled with grown men. Many college coaches experience the same problem. Would he be able to build a strong staff despite lacking any connections at the pro level? This is why the Chicago Bears likely want to talk to him. They want to see what sort of plan he would have for the organization were he to get the job. What’s his vision? How would he handle the development of Caleb Williams? There is no harm in picking his brain. Maybe he puts forward a vision that fits what the organization is looking for. There is already evidence Campbell can coach. It is about whether he can do it in the big leagues. Sometimes, all a guy needs is a chance.
