The mystery surrounding the ISU football program’s next head coach is finally solved.

After much speculation, ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard introduced Texas co-defensive coordinator Gene Chizik as the next man to lead the ISU football team at a mixed news conference-pep rally Monday night.

Chizik has agreed to a six-year contract, worth $6.75 million in guaranteed compensation with incentives that could increase the total to more than $10 million. Iowa State has also agreed to provide his assistants with a guaranteed package of $1.5 million plus incentives, the third-highest assistant package in the Big 12.

A Florida native, Chizik takes over the reins in Ames after two years with the Longhorns as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach and three years at Auburn as defensive coordinator. His employment with Iowa State starts immediately, meaning he will not coach Texas (9-3) in whichever bowl game it’s selected to compete in.

“This is truly a blessing for me and my family,” Chizik said about the opportunity to lead the Cyclones. “When I talked to Mack [Brown, Texas head coach], he said that the four years he spent at Iowa State were great.

“He said it was an amazing place – a good place to raise a family and a great education system.”

Pollard said Chizik was the man Iowa State wanted all along. Mystery had long surrounded the search, and some published reports as recent as Monday morning had Central Michigan coach Brian Kelly as the next Cyclone head coach.

“We got the man we wanted from day one of this search,” Pollard said. “After talking with two people I greatly respect in coach Mack Brown and Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds, it confirmed our belief that Coach Chizik would be our top target.”

Pollard said that he and Steve Malchow, senior associate athletic director of communications, made getting Chizik their top priority.

“[Coach Brown] told us he’s the man, if you can get him,” Pollard said. “So for the last two weeks, we made it our mission to recruit this man to take us to places we’ve never been.”

And Chizik may be the man that could take Iowa State to new heights. Chizik’s teams have played in bowls the past four seasons, winning all four, and Texas will be bowl bound again this year.

Chizik’s accomplishments include winning the Big 12 championship and national championship in 2005 with Texas and an SEC title with Auburn in 2004, but he will face a new challenge with Iowa State, as it will be his first endeavor as head coach.

“It’s been a lifetime professional dream to be the head coach of a football program, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with this opportunity,” Chizik said.

Chizik made his first appearance as coach by entering through a smoke-filled inflatable tunnel to the sounds of the ISU marching band.

“I’m still expecting a rock star or somebody to come out behind me,” he said upon reaching the podium.

He said he was somewhat surprised at the interest Iowa State showed after they first made contact.

“When Iowa State first contacted me, I thought, ‘Why me?'” Chizik said. “Why me, a guy from Florida? I haven’t spent much time around here.

“But what I found was an amazing level of commitment to football at Iowa State. They are wanting to make this football program one of the best in the country, and that’s what every head coach is looking for.”

Chizik said his first plans at Iowa State will be putting together his staff and getting to know the players who are already at Iowa State, and then he will tackle networking with the high school coaches in the state of Iowa.

“We will recruit this state,” Chizik said. “The first thing we are going to do is research and get to know the coaches of the high schools in Iowa.

“I know the success of this program begins with successfully recruiting the state of Iowa, and I will make sure the coaches of high school programs know our doors will always be open.”

Malchow falls ill

There was a somewhat disturbing side note to the event when senior associate athletics director of communications Steve Malchow fell ill during the question and answer session with Chizik and the media.

Athletic Director Jamie Pollard called for doctors to come to the podium to assist Malchow, who was ushered to the back under what appeared to be his own power.

Malchow is diabetic, and Pollard said later that Malchow would be fine after suffering a diabetic attack during the ceremony.