DALLAS — A football game at Iowa State in the 2014 season, when Matt Campbell was the coach at Toledo, left a favorable impression.
Toledo lost that game but seeds were planted. Campbell drew a special vibe at Jack Trice Stadium and two years later, after beating Iowa State in 2015 in Toledo, he would return to Ames as the Cyclones’ new coach.
“I did go home to my wife and I said this is a really special place,” Campbell said Monday at Big 12 media day, recalling the 2014 trip to Iowa State. “It’s unique. It’s got a great setting and something special could happen here.