CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Iowa State head coach says visit with Swinney was
Campbell enjoyed spending time with Dabo Swinney on a visit in recent years. (Photo: Bryon Houlgrave / USATODAY)

Iowa State head coach says visit with Swinney was "transformational"


by - Senior Writer -

Iowa State's Matt Campbell has one of the hottest names in the coaching profession and is frequently mentioned for bigger jobs across the country. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is now part of the old guard, with two National Championships and multiple conference championships under his belt. A visit with Swinney was one that Campbell says transformed the way he coaches.

No. 19 Clemson (9-3, 6-2 ACC) will meet the Iowa State Cyclones (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) in the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl. The 32nd edition of the game will take place at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29, at Camping World Stadium and will be televised nationally by ESPN.

This year’s Cheez-It Bowl will be the first meeting between the Cyclones and Tigers and just the second Orlando bowl trip for Iowa State, which returns after facing Notre Dame in the game in December 2019.

Clemson will be making its fourth appearance in the Cheez-It Bowl and its first since 2014, when the Tigers defeated Oklahoma in what was then known as the Russell Athletic Bowl. Clemson has also appeared in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl three times (1988, 1989, and 1992) and won the 2016 ACC Championship Game over Virginia Tech in Orlando.

Campbell said playing a team like Clemson will be a good measuring stick for his program.

“I think one of the things that you're beyond grateful for when you reflect on our program and where we've continued to work to grow to is to be able to continue to play opponents in first-class programs like this to see where you're at, to continue to build your program the right way and play against people who have built it the right way,” Campbell said. “So I think it means a ton for our program and our university to compete against somebody like Coach Swinney and certainly his program.”

Campbell said he made the trip to Clemson to see Swinney a few years and called it “transformational.”

“Coach Swinney has been a great resource for me. A couple years ago, I had the opportunity to go down to Clemson, and I think probably for a young coach that I am, I think you're always searching for people in our profession that are doing it the right way and they're leading from the heart,” Campbell said. “I think for me it was a transformational experience for myself because of what I saw when I got to Clemson, how I think the kindness and the care and the love and the passion that Coach led with and continues to lead with, and I think that was a huge eye-opening experience of, man, you can lead a football program the right way.

“So I would just say for me he's been from afar a great mentor and certainly the time that he's given to me throughout my own career, I've been greatly appreciative of.”

Swinney said he has been impressed with Campbell since the two met in an airport.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach Campbell. Had a chance to meet him. They actually came down here to Clemson,” Swinney said. “I had him speak at our clinic and had a chance to visit with him on a personal level, just to collaborate with him over the years. What an unbelievable job he has done at Iowa State. The first time I met him, we were actually crossing paths at an airport. I don't know if he remembers that, but I do. Just was immediately kind of struck with his authenticity, who he is, and I've admired what he's done at a place where it's not easy to go do what he's done.

“He's built an incredible culture there. So we just kind of swapped numbers, and then again, they came out to Clemson. Really from that time on, we've talked and swapped text messages and all that. Just an incredibly bright coach, a guy that I think really loves the players and is very serious about certainly winning, but winning in a way that really builds great men through the process.”

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