Peterson: Joel Lanning, Kyle Kempt returning to Iowa State football program another good decision by Matt Campbell

• Kyle Kempt and Joel Lanning helped change the football culture
• Campbell understands the importance of loyalty
• Lanning and Kempt will work with young players

AMES, Ia. — A columnist buddy from another newspaper asked me about Matt Campbell, as I was preparing to leave sweltering Texas for sweltering Des Moines on Tuesday. Is he really as genuine as he appears?

So far, so good, I responded. Somehow, Campbell’s managed to do the right thing — and Wednesday, he proved that again.

Popular former players Joel Lanning and Kyle Kempt are returning to the program — Lanning as a “quality control” assistant with the defense, and Kempt in the same capacity with the offense.

Good for them. Good for Campbell. Good for the program.

More Iowa State football:

• Iowa State's Matt Campbell addressed the NFL question at Big 12 Media Days
• Peterson: Meet JaQuan Bailey; Iowa State’s best-ever defensive end is all grown up now
• What we learned from Iowa State's first depth chart

Kempt, the sudden sensation who abruptly replaced starter Jacob Park a few days before leading the Cyclones to a huge win at third-ranked Oklahoma in 2017, will help oversee a very young quarterback room.

"Kyle and I had this discussion after he was hurt last season," Campbell told me Wednesday afternoon. "When he was sitting out, it was almost as he was another coach in that quarterback room, the way he was working with the young guys." 

Kempt has graduated. He’s moved on with his life. He’s going to be a perfect addition to the Brock Purdy brain trust.

Hey Kyle, Purdy might say during the week before Iowa State returns to Oklahoma, tell me how you won down there.

Kempt could rattle off stats like his 18-of-24 passing for 343 yards and three touchdowns. He could talk about four or five days of cramming for an opponent that had whipped the Cyclones 18 times in a row. He could talk about Lanning and Co., rushing Heisman Trophy quarterback Baker Mayfield into oblivion during the Sooners’ last series as Iowa State was protecting its 38-31 upset.

And speaking of Lanning ...

Talk about a culture-changer — this Ankeny dude embodies that. He was the player face of Coaching Staff Transition.

You think his middle linebacker replacement, Mike Rose, can’t learn a few things from the guy that very willingly switched from quarterback to linebacker for his final season?

I’m guessing Rose, a sophomore now, has already been in Joel’s ear.

"It's huge for all of us," Campbell said. "It's huge for them, because this gives them an opportunity to see if this is the profession they want to pursue. It's huge for us, because they know what we expect in this program, and both will be very good at conveying that to the young guys."

A PR move, naysayers might say?

Whatever.

Matt Campbell’s program doesn’t need any more positive spin. Two eight-win seasons in a row. A legitimate chance to play in the Big 12 Conference championship game. Strong ticket sales for a 2019 season that includes seven home games, starting Aug. 31 against Northern Iowa.

Adding Lanning and Kempt to the staff is strategic. It’s part of that “culture” thing that Campbell talks about so often.

Hayden Fry’s first staff at Iowa way back in 1979 included former Hawkeyes player Dan McCarney. Fry honored Hawkeye roots, as does Campbell. Fry’s third Iowa team played in the Rose Bowl. Campbell’s third team went to the Alamo.

No one likes Iowa State and Iowa comparisons, but in this instance, it works, with their instant success and their hiring of former players. Believe this or not, but it was the Cyclones' biggest fan supporter than mentioned this during a phone call early Wednesday.

A lot of us saw this Lanning and Kempt move coming, especially when post Iowa State football life didn’t exactly work out for the popular pair. There have been quiet rumblings for a while that something like this could be coming.

And Wednesday, it became official.

“Joel and Kyle are two of the biggest reasons we have been able to change the culture within our program at Iowa State,” Campbell said in a statement the athletics department released. “They inspired greatness in their teammates.”

Look at Campbell’s resume. How’d he start what’s so far been a marvelous coaching career? He was a graduate assistant at Bowling Green. He did grunt work, just like Lanning and Kempt will do.

"Starting from the bottom-up — it's exactly what I did," Campbell told me.

Campbell annually welcomes back former Iowa State players — Cyclones who played long before he even had Cardinal and Gold on his radar. He invites them to practice. They're on the sidelines during games. McCarney, a former Iowa State head coach, returns at least once a season.

Even at the Big 12 function Tuesday, Campbell finished a national radio interview with former Iowa State quarterback David Archer, by saying his office door is always open if he wants to come to Ames and hang around the program for a few days.

And now he’s welcoming back Lanning and Kempt.

"I'm glad we could could create positions like this," Campbell said. "It's important that we keep our own players in the house."

Randy Peterson is the Iowa State columnist for the Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete. No one covers the Cyclones like the Register. Subscribe today at Des Moines Register.com/Deal to make sure you never miss a moment.

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