Earle Bruce's Iowa State Departure
Earle Bruce wasn't so sure he actually wanted to leave Ames.
By 1978, the Iowa State football coach had led his squads to three consecutive 8-3 seasons, including two bowl games in '77 and '78. His gruff voice fit the personality of his tough-minded teams and he was starting to build something with the Cyclones.
After six seasons in Ames, Bruce had developed a soft spot for the community. And roughly 37 years later, it is that affection that keeps Bruce coming back.
"I'm going to be honest with you, really by that time, I had fallen in love with Iowa State," Bruce said during a visit to Ames last October for a football game. "It was home."
Iowa State was viewed as a coaches' graveyard, but with the likes of Johnny Majors and Bruce, it started to change those sentiments. Two-straight bowl appearances and an overall winning record by Bruce made him feel like he was starting to turn Iowa State's football fortunes.
But destiny had a way of intervening. A call came from Columbus, Ohio. Woody Hayes was fired at Ohio State in 1978, and Bruce's experience as a player and assistant with the Buckeyes made him a target to be the replacement. ISU Athletics Director Lou McCullough had a reputation of being frugal, and discussions to attempt keeping Bruce in Ames didn't go far.
"Not once did they say 'Earle, we’re going to make you the richest coach in the Big 8,' or 'We're going to give you a big raise so you can't leave here,'" Bruce remembered. "Lou kept saying, 'You're going to Ohio State.'"
"I didn’t say I wanted to go to Ohio State because secretly I didn’t care to follow Woody Hayes," Bruce added, "and I didn’t make any money going there."
Bruce was reluctant to think about coaching at Ohio State because of the legacy Hayes was leaving: 28 years, 205 wins, 13 Big Ten titles and three national championships. Leaving for Ohio State was never about the money — Bruce remembered Hayes not making much more than he did at Iowa State at the time — but ultimately it was never meant to be that Bruce would stay in Ames.
"I heard Lou Holtz who was out at the Hula Bowl say, 'I don’t want to follow Woody Hayes, but I’d like to follow the guy that follows Woody Hayes,'" Bruce said. "I said, 'Oh my god, that's me!"
Bruce garnered more national recognition with the Buckeyes after he left Iowa State, winning 81 games in nine seasons.
The story of Earle Bruce and his time at Iowa State can be found in Section 66 of 100 Things Iowa State Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, which is is available online now and at bookstores across Iowa.
