5 college coaches the Vikings could replace Mike Zimmer with in 2022
By Luke Parrish
Matt Campbell (Iowa State Head Coach)
Another name that has floated around for a few years now is Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. Campbell became one of the top college coaches over the past few seasons and has turned his Cyclones into one of the threats to knock off Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma in the Big 12. Will he finally make the jump to the NFL?
He has reportedly been offered NFL jobs in the past but has yet to make such a leap. Campbell has won three of the last four Big 12 Coach of the Year Awards and has had five straight winning seasons. His first year at Iowa State was a bit down, but Campbell has been nothing short of exceptional since 2017.
Matt Campbell fits more of the mold that we could expect from the Vikings in terms of college coaches. He does not have a massive resume or a world-altering scheme, but he has shown the ability to turn around a team that has not been quite as successful as expected.
NFL teams have reached out to Campbell already about potentially leaving Iowa State for a professional job, but Campbell signed an eight-year extension that has him staying in college until 2028. A buyout is certainly possible, and Campbell has earned that right, but it will take quite the offer to get him to leave the Cyclones.