AMES -- When Jamie Pollard stepped down in July after more than two decades as Iowa State’s athletic director, the résumé around his exit told the story of a department that changed shape under his watch.
Iowa State collected 24 Big 12 team titles across eight sports during Pollard’s tenure. The Cyclones reached 11 bowl games, 12 NCAA Tournaments and 17 NCAA Women’s Tournaments, and the school also posted a program best in nine different sports. On top of that, Iowa State celebrated 24 national champions while Pollard was in charge.
The numbers off the field and floor were just as striking. Since 2011-12, Iowa State has averaged at least 50,000 fans at home football games, 12,000 at home men’s basketball games and 9,000 at home women’s basketball games. No other school in the country can say that.
A big part of Pollard’s legacy has been the football hires he made along the way - Gene Chizik, Paul Rhoads, Matt Campbell and now Jimmy Rogers. In an exclusive interview with Cyclone Alert, Pollard talked about what goes into finding the right coach to push Cyclone football forward and how each of those coaches helped carry the program through a different stage of its rise.
“So great observation on your part. Okay, I've always likened it to running a relay race, and It's probably a medley relay so that not everybody had the same leg.
Some had longer legs than others. Okay?
But they hand off the baton to the next person, and in those examples I could cite what each one of them brought to the table.”
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Why Cy Hawk Still Means So Much To Iowa State Fans
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Matt Campbell and Becht have also become part of the conversation again, with both former Iowa State figures publicly weighing in on coaching decisions after Campbell's departure. Their comments have stirred plenty of reaction across the fan base, adding another layer to a rivalry that already comes loaded with emotion, identity and a sense that every development around the program is being watched closely. [Read more 🡒]