For a few off seasons now, Matt Campbell has been one of the hottest names connected to open jobs the past several off seasons because of what he has built at Iowa State. In December of 2019, the Cyclones inked him to an extension through 2025 in hopes that he remains in Ames.
Loyalty is important to Campbell, as it is has become a key ingredient to the culture he's created with the Cyclones.
Before facing the Longhorns last weekend, with both sidelines understanding that the winner of the match up would find themselves firmly in the drivers seat of controlling their destiny to reach the Big 12 title game, Campbell's message to his team was centered on loyalty.
"There is still work to be done...IF you want to get the crown. The crown comes with one word, and it is the most powerful thing that you have, and that is loyalty."
"You can't let it die. You can't let it go away. You can't, all of a sudden, have ego and think that we are something we're not. What we are, is what I told you last night: We are good enough, and you are enough, if you are willing to stay the course."
You can feel the confidence in the room and the eyes glued to him as Campbell delivers that message to his guys. As we know now, they went out there and executed and left Austin with a critical win.
Fans of the Cyclones will be hoping that loyalty continues to be a theme for Campbell as more programs chase the Iowa State head coach this coming off season.
See the video Iowa State put together on Campbell's message below.