Oregon Football: 5 coaching candidates who could replace Mario Cristobal

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Nov 20, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach

Matt Campbell has essentially been mentioned in every single head coaching search over the past few years and there’s a feeling that he would leave Iowa State for the right job.

Oregon is a much more intriguing and prestigious job than Iowa State, but Campbell has been working hard to change the Cyclones’ reputation. Playing in the Big 12 and being a bottom-dweller for years, however, hasn’t helped matters. Campbell has turned the program around and it arguably all started with a road upset of Oklahoma years back.

What is most attractive about the possibility of Campbell at Oregon is the fact that he’s won at a program that hasn’t been known for football success and has a fraction of the resources that the Ducks have. Just imagine what he could do in Eugene. Plus, he’s just 42 years old.

Hiring young, up-and-coming coaches is what every Power Five contender is trying to do and all you have to do is look at USC (Lincoln Riley), Baylor (Dave Aranda), Michigan State (Mel Tucker), and Notre Dame (Marcus Freeman) over the past couple of years to realize that.

Could Campbell take his winning mentality to Eugene and bring the Ducks back to the glory days.

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