Jimmy Rogers was hired as the college football coach at Iowa State on December 5, 2025. He has not yet signed his contract with the university.
It has been 68 days!
There seems to be a simple explanation for this lack of formal agreement between the university and its new college football coach but the clock is ticking. The new season is already underway.
Who is Jimmy Rogers?
Iowa State officially introduced Jimmy Rogers as its 34th head football coach on Dec. 8, 2025. The 38-year-old left the same job at Washington State after only one season because it was an opportunity he simply could not turn down.
The former South Dakota State linebacker is one of the fastest-rising coaches in the sport. He only got into coaching as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 2010. He only received his first head coaching job at his alma mater in 2023. This current 2026 season is just his fourth full season as a head coach.
Despite his inexperience, Rogers wins.
The Jackrabbits went 27-3 during his two-year tenure and won a national championship at 15-0 during his first season. The Cougars managed to win six games and make a bowl game despite its severe lack of resources. They also hung close with Ole Miss, a College Football Playoff semifinalist, in Oxford.
The Cyclones saw an opportunity to hire a promising young coach to replace Matt Campbell and jumped on the opportunity. The hire was announced less than 12 hours after Campbell left for Penn State.
Rogers also won over the fans during his first public appearance at a Cyclones basketball game when he took a shot at their rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Well, that's one way to win over the fanbase. pic.twitter.com/bq1E01uxLb
— Cyclone Fanatic (@cyclonefanatic) December 12, 2025
It is a risky hire but a good one! Especially considering how late it was in the coaching cycle at the time.
Iowa State’s college football coach has not signed his contract.
Jimmy Rogers is going to be the head coach at Iowa State. He has been the head coach in Ames for 68 days. He is not a flight risk. There are not any concerns that this hire will not go through.
According to a memorandum of understanding between Iowa State and Rogers, he will get the following:
- Six-year contract ending Jan. 31, 2032.
- Base pay of $3 million per year
- Additional compensation for number of wins in a regular season.
- (Additional bonuses for bowl game appearances, being named the conference coach of the year, etc.)
However, the first-year head coach at Iowa State has not yet signed an official contract. The university says it is still in the works.
The reason for this hold-up is likely pretty simple.
David Cook, the current president of North Dakota State University, was named the 17th president of Iowa State University at the beginning of November. He will begin his 5-year term on March 1, 2026.
I would imagine that the university is waiting for Cook to officially take over as president, to then approve and sign all of the paperwork. The holding pattern is not reason to panic— for now. It becomes a major problem if Rogers’ contract is not signed by the middle of March. Stay tuned.