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Published Nov 21, 2019
Florida State football Head Coach Hot Board 4.0
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Gene Williams  •  TheOsceola
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@WarchantGene

Florida State Football is in the process of looking for a new head coach, and Warchant has the inside scoop on the top candidates for the vacancy. Here's the fourth version of our Hot Board with new candidates, some moving up and some slipping down.

UPDATED: Nov. 21

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LEADING CANDIDATES

Matt Campbell (39)

Currently: Head coach, Iowa State

Resume: Campbell has turned a bottom-feeder Iowa State program into a consistent winner. He worked as an offensive coordinator for Bowling Green and Toledo before becoming the head coach for the Rockets in 2012. Took over at Iowa State in 2016. After a 3-9 record in year one, the Cyclones have a 22-14 record over the past three seasons.

Salary/Buyout: $3.5 million salary / Buyout = $6 million (drops to $5 million on 2/1/20)

Pros: Campbell is one of the hottest names in the college coaching community. Even though he's only had two head coaching jobs, he quickly turned around both programs. The most notable aspect of his coaching tenure is that his teams are always competitive even against superior competition. In the two prior seasons, Iowa State defeated six ranked teams, including two in top five in 2017 -- Oklahoma and TCU. The Cyclones went toe-to-toe with No. 9 Oklahoma earlier this season, losing by just one point, then knocked off Texas.

Cons: Has no experience at a major P5 program as a head coach or assistant. Moving to Tallahassee would also be a dramatic cultural change since he's lived in Ohio and Iowa his entire life. As a result, recruiting could be a challenge. Campbell's overall record at Iowa State is just barely above .500 at 25-23. At $6 million, his buyout is pricey.

Our Take (updated): Campbell's name keeps coming up in connection with the Florida State opening. Indications are that the initial meeting between the two sides went well. His ability to turn FSU around is far from a sure thing, and the huge buyout is a concern.

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