Iowa State assistant coach Kenith Pope: Paul Rhoads coaches like Barry Switzer did

Iowa State running backs coach Kenith Pope played for Barry Switzer at Oklahoma.

Pope, who has coached running backs at Iowa State for the past four years under Paul Rhoads, has been part of several college football staffs over his more than two-decade career, so he knows something special when he sees it.

In a telephone interview with The Oklahoman, Pope said Rhoads is the type of coach any parent would love their son to play for.

“Barry (Switzer) was a very energetic guy, and he does remind me of coach Rhoads,” said Pope, who was an Oklahoma defensive back in the early 1970s.

“You felt like you could walk in his office anytime, and you felt good about having a conversation with coach Switzer. He knew what to say, he knew how to motivate you each week, and he was fun to be around.

Kenith Pope makes a flying tackle on Penn State's Jimmy Scott in the 1973 Sugar Bowl. Pope is now an assistant coach at Iowa State. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE PHOTO

Pope has been an assistant coach all over the country — Alabama, TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and UNLV have all been stops during his career.