Campbell was keen to recognize McCarney’s achievement in turning around the desolate Iowa State program.

AMES — It could have been a telemarketing caller. Or an old friend. Maybe even a fan.

So Dan McCarney briefly stared at the unknown number that lit up on his phone, and as usual, Iowa State football’s all-time winningest head coach answered.

The voice on the other end of the phone that day in 2016? Newly hired Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell.

“I didn’t know who was calling,” said McCarney, who saw Campbell tie his ISU record of 56 wins after Saturday’s 1 p.m. game between the No. 20 Cyclones (2-0) and Arkansas State (2-1) at Jack Trice Stadium. “I had no idea. I get that a lot. Sometimes it might be a drunk friend from back in the day or a drunk fan from back in the day.”

“Sometimes you get late calls and I’ve never been shy about answering the phone and continuing the conversation depending on who it is, but this came completely out of the blue. It was just so welcoming and made you feel really good.”

Campbell sent McCarney a clear message: He wanted him on the program. He wanted his former staff and players on the team. He wanted to honor McCarney’s previous accomplishments in turning around a struggling ISU program – and he’s proud that in his ninth season he’s coming close to matching McCarney’s 18-year-old record.

“What he was able to build here laid the foundation for everybody that came after him to really have a chance at real success,” Campbell said this week. “I think you’re just grateful that you’ve been able to be in one place as long as we’ve been able to be here, and I would say any success we’ve had has been because we’ve had great coaches and obviously great players along the way.”

That list includes players like Seneca Wallace, Reggie Hayward and Ellis Hobbs from the McCarney era. And players like David Montgomery, Brock Purdy and Breece Hall from the Campbell era. Now the Cyclones are looking to reach new heights this season with quarterback Rocco Becht and other standout players — and not having to worry about records this week is the last thing on their minds.

“We’re circling every single team on our schedule and we’re circling the off weeks as well,” said Becht, whose team just completed the first of two off weeks this season. “We know a large percentage of teams come out of their off week and lose the next game, so that’s been our big theme this past week — that sense of urgency. To have that confidence and urgency to go out there and play on Saturday is going to be great.”

Whether that leads to Campbell reaching McCarney’s milestone of wins on Saturday is uncertain, but it highlights the Cyclones’ larger goals. ISU is aiming for a return to the Big 12 title game for the first time since 2020, and at this point in the season, several teams appear capable of doing that.

So why not the Cyclones, who could emerge unscathed from non-league play for only the second time in Campbell’s eight-plus-year tenure?

“We will fight and keep fighting,” said linebacker Kooper Ebel.

That mentality was present in the McCarney era and he is pleased that it has become a trademark of Campbell’s teams.

“How can you not cheer for a guy like that?” McCarney said. “And I think there are a lot of similarities to what we tried to do at Iowa State and there are some differences, but just the way he did it — for all of us that love this place, when you have a head coach that you know, for everyone that’s associated with this program, they respect him, they care about him deeply? It’s just a great feeling as a head coach to know that people care about you that much, and I know Matt knows that because he’s built that reputation.”

So if Campbell ties his record, McCarney will call him. And if he breaks it? Then he’ll congratulate him, too. Their bond goes beyond victories and defeats – even if the former anchors them in the record books.

“I haven’t missed a game since Matt was head coach,” said McCarney, who will attend the home game against Baylor next month. “I’ve been back every fall. I never miss a game and I think I’ve only seen one loss, so maybe I’m not a lucky charm, but when I come back to Ames, good things happen.”

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