Hot takes everywhere here. I’m not even sure where to begin. I follow ISU fairly close and this season was a rebuild year, everyone in Ames knew it. The staff knew it. The expectations set on Campbell and the coaching staff was improvement. A lot of games fell apart during the season due to bad offensive play calling. Manning is a good coach but he really struggled the last two years. If we think our red zone struggles were rough here, it was that in spades for the cyclones. I think the expectations are always going to be high with Campbell but the fans there are understanding to the situation.
From the outside, i can see where you come from but this is not a sinking ship. It’s light years ahead of where the program was when he took over. They sell loads of season tickets and have made great improvements to thier stadium and facilities. He’s really built something special there. One 4-8 season doesn’t take the polish off. When your offense struggles that badly, you cut bait. Full stop. See Bielema cerca 2021. It’s that simple.
Edit: As far as him using this program as a stepping stone, he has said there are only a few programs he’d consider ‘dream jobs’ and I believe him. Unless he gets fired, I’d expect him to be patient. Money is a powerful persuader but I do think he’s genuinely happy in Ames (for now).