By Cole Mantell (@LightningDragon)
From a National Champion to a regular season dynasty to an ACC program builder, Matt Haase has one of the most interesting resumes in my series covering the new guys. He’s been around the block, to say the least, and now he wants to bring a previous CFSL team back to the forefront. He’s got a tall task ahead of him, just like any expansion AD in the CFSL. But there are models to follow and teams to aspire to be like, if not exceed. For an Iowa team coming into a deadly Big10, the challenge starts now for new Iowa AD Matt Haase.
Haase has been in the CFSL coaching world since Season 17. He was a Recruiting Coordinator on the last National Champion Oklahoma State squad. After that season, he moved to Justin Duke’s Auburn squad, helping the team win 16 regular season games in a row and learning the ins and outs of running a contender in today’s new era in the CFSL. Then, most recently, he has spent the last two seasons with Clemson AD Logan Wetzel, rebuilding the Clemson Tigers team and brand. While Clemson lost in the first round this season, the fact they made the playoffs as a vote-in shows how much the league recognizes the gauntlet of the ACC, and how good the turnaround has been for the Tigers.
Now, Clemson’s work isn’t done. And Virginia Tech set the standard this season for the ACC in terms of a rebuild or expansion job. But now, Haase has the chance to chart his path in a conference he has yet to coach in. While he had yet to select a playbook, team culture, and the locker room were something he identified as to work on first. Now, it isn’t the first time a new AD in this series gave me that answer. But it is a good answer, as locker room cohesion is so important in today’s CFSL and something the new AD in any team needs to get right from the get-go. You can’t just have the best players to succeed, you need the right ones.
One interesting fact in my conversations with the two new ADs was their choice of team outside of the CFSL. Haase, along with Nebraska AD Noah Johnson, is a fan of the UNC Tar Heels. Needless to say, there are more than a few fans of North Carolina among the AD ranks now. The father of three enjoys coaching baseball outside of the CFSL, including for his three children. A former truck driver and badminton Olympic hopeful, Haase has a big personality both inside and outside the league.
Similar to Nebraska, Iowa has a tough task ahead of its expansion plans. While Nebraska’s conference foes in the Big XII are no joke, the Big10 may be the best conference overall in the CFSL next season. USC’s championship bona fides are real, even after a disappointing first-round upset this season. The team that gave them that upset also is in the Big 10 at Ohio State. Michigan and Oregon have rebounded from tough seasons, though Michigan is a bit farther ahead in the Championship race it seems. And Penn State is a younger team that is only getting more experienced this offseason. For Iowa, that means there will be no easy conference games. And even in the non-conference, Week 1 is against rival Nebraska. For Iowa to succeed again in the CFSL, Matt Haase will need to prove his mettle, often and early. But it is a challenge he recognizes and through our conversations, I think he is ready to take on.
