The next stop on the rumored list to replace turner Gill is surprisingly close to home for me. A several hour drive down I-35 would bring me within spitting distance of Iowa and their Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell. Though Iowa may seem a bit out of the way (nothing compared to Boise) he does have strong ties in the MAC footprint.Given the success of Iowa over the past couple of seasons there is going to be some buzz around their coaching staff but I was honestly surprised to see Campbells name on the list.
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Campbell played college football at Michigan where he managed to have career starts on both sides of the Ball (WR /DB) in his four years with the Wolverines (1984-1987). In addition to starting both sides of the ball he is the only player in Michigan football history to start at all four secondary positions in one year.
After graduating from Michigan Campbell served as a student assistant before becoming something of a journeyman positions coach. He landed at Navy then Ball State and finally Syracuse before returning to Ann Arbor to coach the wide receivers. With the Changing of the Guard at Michigan in 2008 Campbell moved on to Iowa.
While he has a lack of experience as a head coach, or even as a coordinator the success he has had in positional coaching is impressive. He coached a 1,000-yard receiver an NCAA record eight straight seasons, and has coached three all Americans. Under his tutelage Steve Breaston became the Big Ten's career punt return leader.
The Pluses for Campbell:
- Years of experience at schools within the MAC footprint
- Proven shaper of Offensive Talent and special teams
- Experience as a player on both sides of the Ball
The Negatives for Campbell:
- No real experience as a coordinator or head coach
Would he be a good hire for UB?
Of the Coaches I have looked at Campbell is the weakest thus far. He may in fact be a great coach but he has had little chance to ever show it. This is the kind of hire that would have been nice in 2005 when UB was a backwater school flirting with probation (for attendance) and who's coaches were under paid, even by MAC standards.
If Barrett gets the nod he would be seriously remiss if he did not feel Campbell out as an coordinator. This is someone who is obviously a good coach of players and has the resume to warrant a shot to fill the hole Barretts promotion would leave.