Jamie Pollard will soon step back from his role as athletics director at Iowa State University after leading the program for more than two decades.
Pollard, the longest-tenured athletics director in school history, is retiring, Iowa State announced on Friday, July 10. The 61-year-old plans to leave the job on June 30, 2027, or sooner if the school hires his replacement before then.
The Oshkosh, Wisconsin, native’s time in Ames featured transformative highs for the athletic department, though was not free of missteps. Here’s a look at Pollard’s tenure at Iowa State.
2005-2007
Pollard became the athletics director of Iowa State on Sept. 19, 2005, replacing Bruce Van De Velde. Pollard previously built his career in college athletics with roles at Saint Louis, Maryland and Wisconsin before arriving in Ames.
In November 2006, Pollard hired much‑touted Texas assistant Gene Chizik as Iowa State’s new head football coach, and despite finishing the season 3-9, the Cyclones set a school record by selling roughly 35,000 season tickets in 2007.
By May 2007, Pollard was given a contract extension. Around this time, the Big 12 secured an eight-year extension of its ABC/ESPN television package, which proved pivotal as Iowa State’s football and men’s basketball programs began one of the most successful on‑field stretches in school history in the 2010s.
2008-2009
Construction on the Sukup Basketball Complex, one of the cornerstone proposals included in the athletics facilities master plan Pollard presented to the Iowa Board of Regents in June 2006, began in 2008.
The facility opened in 2009 and provided Iowa State’s basketball programs with dedicated practice courts and training areas, locker rooms, coaches’ offices and more.
Area construction and athletics facility upgrades were a hallmark of Pollard’s tenure as AD, during which his administration invested more than $400 million in new construction and renovations in Ames. Other major facilities projects included upgrades to Jack Trice Stadium — highlighted by the $60 million south end-zone project completed in 2015 — and the $98 million Stark Performance Center, which opened in 2021.
2010-2014
Following a disappointing four-year run under Greg McDermott, Pollard hired former Cyclone star Fred Hoiberg in spring 2010 to lead the men’s basketball program despite his lack of head‑coaching experience. Hoiberg spent five seasons in Ames, leading Iowa State to 20-plus win campaigns and the NCAA Tournament in four of those years.
Pollard also had to navigate the first wave of Big 12 realignment turmoil during this time when Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri and Texas A&M left the Big 12. Despite fears that Iowa State would be left without a major home, the Big 12 survived and Pollard emerged as one of the league’s most visible voices.
Pollard also went viral from time to time for his blunt, emotionally charged public comments, especially when he felt Iowa State or the Big 12 had been wronged.
During the 2014 football season, following a 37-20 loss to Oklahoma State – in which Iowa State suffered from several questionable officiating calls – Pollard stepped up to the podium during the postgame press conference and called for accountability within the Big 12’s officiating.
He was fined $25,000 for his comments – a Big 12 record at the time – and later apologized.
2015-2022
Pollard continued his streak of finding success when hiring coaches when he tabbed up‑and‑comer Matt Campbell as Iowa State’s next football coach after Chizik left and the school dismissed Paul Rhoads following seven mediocre seasons. By 2017, Campbell was named Big 12 Coach of the Year and led the Cyclones to their first bowl game in nearly a decade.
In Campbell’s 10 seasons, he led the Cyclones to their greatest success in the program’s 134-year history (a 72–55 record), sent dozens of players to the NFL and firmly put Iowa State on the national map.
Also in 2015, he found Steve Prohm at Murray State to replace Hoiberg, who departed for the NBA. Prohm continued the men’s basketball NCAA Tournament streak that Hoiberg started, taking the Cyclones to the dance three times. When Prohm’s tenure soured, Pollard hired his replacement, former Cyclone assistant T. J. Otzelberger, who has led Iowa State to the Sweet 16 three times since.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pollard instituted cost-cutting measures across the board in the athletic department due to the limited attendance allowed at Jack Trice Stadium and a projected budget deficit. Pollard instituted a 10% pay reduction for coaches and most staff while suspending bonuses for the fiscal year. The Cyclones did not have to cut any varsity athletic programs during the pandemic.
In April 2021, Pollard received a contract extension, keeping him with the Cyclones through 2026.
In September 2022, the university announced plans for the still-unopened CyTown, a planned multi-use center slated to sit between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum. In the original plans, the university said the proposed $200 million district would include a medical facility, retail and office space, an outdoor public plaza and amphitheater, and luxury suites.
2023-2026
Iowa State abruptly ended its gymnastics season in February 2026 due to a lack of available athletes and ongoing internal conflicts. Just under a month later, the school announced that it was discontinuing the gymnastics program. In April, the school announced that it was adding a women’s wrestling program.
In February 2026, the athletics department received a $5 million gift from a couple of alumni who wish to remain anonymous.
The donors offered $5 million to support student-athletes with their academic success, competitive excellence and holistic development, according to the news release. It was also awarded to “help position the department to successfully navigate the evolving college athletics landscape.”
The funds may also be used to further the department’s ability to attract and retain coaches and staff.
The anonymous alumni couple established the endowed fund to honor and perpetuate the values of “visionary leadership and unwavering pursuit of academic and competitive excellence” Pollard has incorporated throughout his tenure.
On July 10, 2026, Pollard announced through the school that he intends to retire on June 30, 2027 — or earlier if the school can find a replacement before then.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Jamie Pollard led Iowa State athletics for over 20 years, see timeline
