AMES, Iowa – Newly-departed Washington State football coach Jimmy Rogers said the offer to coach Iowa State is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Rogers’ expressed his desire to coach the team and his relationship with the Iowa State athletic director during his introductory press conference Monday.
Rogers coached just one season at WSU before departing for the job in Ames.
The job came open when longtime Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell took the job at Penn State.
In introducing Rogers, Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard called the coaching moves Friday “a mission impossible.”
Pollard said Cyclones fans should know they’re getting a coach who “wants to be here” and that the move brings “certainty to the future of Iowa State football.”
The two men met during a coaching workshop two years ago, as Rogers was coaching at South Dakota State. Pollard said Rogers asked him then, “What do I need to do to be the next head coach at Iowa State if Coach Campbell ever leaves.”
Two years later, they’re now responsible for guiding Iowa State through a major transition.
Pollard said he called Rogers Friday morning about the job, Rogers said he didn’t even need to know the salary before accepting the job.
“That should tell you all you need to know about how much this man wanted to be here,” Pollard said.
“I never had any intent to leave as fast as I did,” Rogers said of his departure from WSU. “I was planning on growing that program to the best of my ability and when I got this call, I knew this was the one. This is the one that I wanted because of the culture that has been laid.”
Rogers said he had to think about his family as he made the decision to leave Pullman.
“I won’t apologize for this because this is the best thing that’s ever happened for me and my family,” he said, referencing moving closer to family along with the opportunity at Iowa State.
He said he wasn’t taking a jump to Washington State just to make this jump.
Rogers is the second coach in two seasons to leave after the regular season and before the bowl game.
Jake Dickert left last year to take the job at Wake Forest.
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