Iowa State is set to hire Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers to succeed Matt Campbell, the school announced on Friday. Campbell was tabbed as Penn State’s new coach after a long search that began after firing James Franklin in October.

Rogers, 38, led Washington State to a 6-6 record in his first and only season. The Cougars, whose schedule was mostly nonconference in the Pac-12 with only Oregon State, faced back-to-back ranked opponents on the road in October, narrowly falling at Ole Miss and at Virginia by a combined five points. Despite the losses, Rogers became just the fourth coach in Washington State history to lead the Cougars to a bowl game in his first season at the helm. Now, Washington State will begin its search for a third coach in as many years after Jake Dickert left for Wake Forest following the 2024 season.

“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,” Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard said. “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.”

Before arriving in Pullman, Washington, Rogers built a decorated résumé as the coach of FCS powerhouse South Dakota State from 2023-24. Rogers guided the Jackrabbits to a perfect 15-0 record during the 2023 campaign, which included a win over Montana in the FCS title game.

He followed that with a 12-3 campaign in 2024, capturing a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference crown and advancing to the FCS semifinals.

Over two seasons, he posted a 27-3 record, while overseeing one of the most dominant defensive units in FCS history. South Dakota State led the nation in scoring defense, finishing with just 9.3 points allowed per game in 2023, and ranked among the top teams in total defense, rushing offense and team efficiency.

Jimmy Rogers coaching record

Rogers began his coaching career in 2010 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, South Dakota State, after finishing his playing career as a two-time all-conference linebacker and team captain. After a brief stint as a graduate assistant at Florida Atlantic in 2012, he returned to South Dakota State as a linebacker coach in 2013. Over the next decade, he rose to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, mentoring multiple All-America linebackers. His defense consistently ranked among the nation’s best, and he earned recognition as the 2022 FCS Coordinator of the Year.

Rogers was elevated to the head job after legendary coach John Stiegelmeier retired after the 2023 season.

“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 inherits the job from Campbell, the winningest coach Iowa State has ever had. Campbell went 72-55 (.567) over a decade and engineered the program’s greatest modern season last year, when the Cyclones finished 11-3 and played in the Big 12 title game.