Campbell signed a six-year, $22.5 million extension with the school on November 27, 2017. Campbell was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year twice. In his second year, Campbell led Iowa State to wins such as #3 Oklahoma and #4 TCU. Iowa State won their bowl game that year against the Memphis Tigers in the Liberty Bowl. During his third year at Iowa State, he led the Cyclones to an 8-5 record. This included a 6-3 record in Big 12 play, their most conference wins in history. In 2018, Matt Campbell was reportedly requested for an interview for the New York Jets NFL team, however, he declined the interview.