The icy roads, daunting upcoming schedule and tough conference affiliation might have scared away many potential candidates.

But not Paul Rhoads. He made a head-long charge into his new job as Iowa State's new coach, before vowing to create a blue-collar mentality of hard work central for his new team.

Paul Rhoads, a former assistant at Iowa State, is returning to the Cyclones, this time as head coach. Charles LeClaire/Getty Images

The former Auburn and Pittsburgh defensive coordinator and one-time ISU defensive coach was introduced Saturday as the 31st head football coach in the school's history.

And he couldn't be more excited for what he termed as "a dream job" where he will coach only a couple of long touchdown passes away from the Ankeny, Iowa, area where he was born and raised. His father, Cecil, is a member of the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

"There are deep roots here," Rhoads said. "My youngest was born here. I was born 10 miles down the road. The group over here . . . I have more support and they are all family. I could see myself here for a long time."

Those words were soothing for Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard, who was burned when Gene Chizik packed up and left the Cyclones for Auburn after twice telling Pollard he would stay. Chizik compiled a 5-19 record in his two seasons with the Cyclones, leaving with a 10-game losing streak that is tied for the second-longest among all FBS teams.