Toledo Notes- Bowl Game

Head coach MATT CAMPBELLNCAA Division III national titles. Inthose two seasons at Mount Union,Campbell mentored six All-Americanson offense, including future NFLstar wide receiver Pierre Garcon.Campbell returned to BowlingGreen as an assistant coach for twoseasons, one as the offensive linecoach (2007) and one as the offensiveline coach/running game coordinator(2008). The 2007 Falconswent 8-5 and earned a trip to theGMAC Bowl.Firing Up the Rocket OffenseCampbell’s next move in thecoaching ranks turned out to be pivotal,joining the Rocket staff as the offensive coordinator underhead coach Tim Beckman in 2009. At age 29, Campbellwas the second-youngest coordinator in the NCAA DivisionI FBS, but that didn’t prevent him from molding the Rocketsinto one of the highest scoring offenses in the country.Beckman and Campbell had coached together for oneseason at Bowling Green in 2004 when Beckman was an assistantand Campbell was a graduate assistant. Their reunificationat Toledo re-energized the Rocket offense. Toledo’soffense was consistently among the most productive in thenation in Campbell’s three seasons as offensive coordinator.In his first season with the Rockets, Campbell helpedguide UT to the No. 16-ranked offense in the country (437.9yards per game), despite losing senior quarterback AaronOpelt to injury midway through the season. Toledo’s offensiveresurgence continued in 2010, a season that saw theRockets go 8-5 and make their first bowl appearance in fiveyears. The Rockets ranked third in the Mid-American Conferencein both scoring and total offense. In 2011, Toledo (9-4,7-1 MAC) ranked eighth nationally and first inthe MAC in scoring offense (42.2), and 10th inthe country and first in the MAC in total offense(481.3).Campbell earned national attention forhis recruiting, as well. Rivals.com named hima “top recruiter” in 2011. Campbell was one ofnine coaches from non-automatic qualifyingschools in the BCS to make the list, and theonly one from the Mid-American Conference.Toledo’s 2010, 2011 and 2012 recruiting classeswere ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the MAC byvirtually every scouting service.Taking Over the HelmCampbell‘s career took a dramatic turn atthe end of the 2011 regular season when Beckmanleft the program to take the head coachingposition at Illinois. UT Athletic DirectorCampbell will be participating in his seventhbowl game as a head or assistant coach.Mike O’Brien immediately namedCampbell the interim head coach.Three days later, O’Brien decidedto remove the interim label, andCampbell was introduced as Toledo’spermanent head coach withthe Military Bowl looming in just 16days.For the Military Bowl matchup vs.Air Force, Campbell chose to remainin his normal offensive coordinatorposition in the coaches’ box and letassociate head coach Louis Ayenihandle the on-field duties. The strategyworked out perfectly, as theRockets won, 42-41.Building Champions at ToledoCampbell’s first full season as head coach of the Rocketswas quite an exciting ride. Following an overtime loss at Arizonain the season opener, Toledo reeled off eight consecutivevictories, including a 29-23 triumph over then-No. 18Cincinnati. Close conference losses to Ball State and NorthernIllinois shot down the Rockets’ dreams of a MAC Championshiptitle, but UT won nine regular-season games andearned a berth into the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs.Utah State. It was Toledo’s third straight winning season andthird consecutive bowl appearance.In Year No. 2 under Campbell, the Rockets finished witha 7-5 mark, 5-3 in league play. Toledo navigated one of itstoughest non-conference schedules ever, traveling to then-No. 10 Florida and eventual SEC West champion Missouri tostart off the season. The Rockets lost those two contests, butwon seven of the next eight games, including a 28-25 triumphover arch-rival and eventual MAC champion BowlingGreen.In 2014, the Rockets went 8-4 and earned ashare of the MAC West Division title with a7-1 league mark. As a result, Toledo earnedits third bowl appearance with Campbell ashead coach.Campbell took the ALS icebucketchallenge in stylelast summer.Family ManCampbell comes from a football family thatplaced a high value on education. His father,Rick, coached at Jackson High Schoolin Massillon, OH, and later served as principalthere. He now serves as athletic directorat Canton South High School. Campbell’smother, Elaine, is a grant writer for MercyMedical Hospital in Canton, OH.Campbell and his wife Erica have two girls,Katelyn (5) and Isabella (4), and a son, Rudy(1).