AMES, Ia. — Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell said he plans to be back next season despite rumors and reports swirling about his future with the Cyclones.

Campbell, in his third season in Ames, was asked what Iowa State fans have been worried most about as the young coach continues to have success: Will he return next season?

“If Jamie would have me, yes,” Campbell said, referring to Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard.

Campbell, who turns 39 on Thursday, is considered one of college football’s brightest young stars. He’s turned a struggling Iowa State program into a winner, compiling an 18-18 overall mark with the Cyclones, including a school-record six Big 12 Conference victories in 2018.

Last season he guided Iowa State to eight wins and made the Cyclones bowl eligible for the first time since 2012. Under his leadership again this season, Iowa State has already won seven games and until recently had the Cyclones in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 championship game.

Campbell's success as a head coach — first at Toledo before coming to Ames — has made him an intriguing option for suitors in the college and professional ranks.

His name appeared on speculative shortlists this fall for Ohio State, where coach Urban Meyer has dealt with health issues and was suspended for the season's first three games. A recent report by CBS Sports said Campbell is on the radar of NFL teams and the Cleveland Browns would likely contact him about their vacancy.

► Peterson: Campbell pledges allegiance to Iowa State — and I believe him

But Campbell, who first said he wouldn’t talk about possible job openings before the season started, said Thursday he likes what he's building at Iowa State.

“I’ve already addressed this situation — you guys know that,” Campbell said. “There’s everything in my intention in building this program the right way … and doing it for the long haul is exactly how we’ve done it."

Campbell understood that his words may not be enough to convince some people of his plans.

“I think my actions have spoken louder than my words because all these coaches get up here and say words,” Campbell said. “So you hope your actions speak louder than your words.”

Campbell said he often speaks to his players about challenging topics and "I think our kids really understand where I lay on a lot of those topics. If it's ever a situation that I feel like needs to be addressed, we address it immediately."

Campbell added that he's excited about what he's accomplished at Iowa State and what the future holds for the program.

"We’re fortunate that we’ve continued to be able to build in a positive direction and we're going to continue to build in a really positive direction."