Turnover is a way of life in college football.

After consecutive seasons with 7-5 records and bowl appearances in both campaigns, the NFL came calling to the ISU football program and two of Dan McCarney’s assistants moved on.

Outside linebacker coach DeMontie Cross left the Cyclones after five seasons, taking his services to the Buffalo Bills.

Jeff Horton also left Ames for St. Louis, packing his bags for the big show just days after McCarney hired him away from Wisconsin.

“I lost tremendous coaches,” McCarney said.

“They had a lot to do with our success.”

To replace the departed Cross and Horton, McCarney hired UCLA’s Brian Schneider and Colorado’s Shawn Simms.

Under Schneider, UCLA led the nation last season in punt return average, netting 28.5 yards per kick return. He joins the Cyclones as the team’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.

Iowa State was third in the Big 12 in kickoff returns one season ago, but just 10th in punt returns.

McCarney said the new coach brings experience to his job.

“There’s no experiment here,” McCarney said.

“He had a great plan and a real passion and good ideas. He’s really implemented a lot of good things. He has lots of good thoughts and planning. He’s a tremendous fit.”

Schneider has also fit in well with the rest of McCarney’s coaching staff.

“If I have a guy who comes in and he’s the smartest guy in the world and has good experience, but he doesn’t care for his kids or doesn’t fit with my staff and my football family, it’s not going to work,” McCarney said. “But he’s been a great addition.”

Simms sports a impressive college football pedigree, coaching at Illinois, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Colorado before making his way to Ames.

McCarney said he has been impressed with Simms’ desire to learn, although the coach has plenty of experience at the highest level.

“I don’t know that I’ve been around a guy who is more conscientious,” McCarney said. “He reminds me of a guy – even though he’s in his 40s – who’s 21 or 22 or 23. He’s trying to learn all the time.

“He’s trying to reach out and gather information. He’s really been a sponge, knowing this is a new system.”

Simms’ drive to learn is starting to take up the time of McCarney’s other assistants, something the head coach has no problem with.

“He has – in a positive way – been driving [defensive coordinator] John Skladany crazy, as far as the time he wants with John to learn,” McCarney said.

“As a head coach you love that, because he does not want to be the weak link.”

Both Simms and Schneider will get their first chance to coach in a game situation Saturday when they prowl the sidelines at Iowa State’s annual spring game.

McCarney named the two head coaches for the game. Schneider will coach the first and fourth team, and Simms will coach the second and third team.

Simms’ team will be spotted 21 points, giving the Cyclone starters a hole to climb out of. No ISU starting team has ever lost a spring game, a statistic that isn’t lost on the starters.

“It hasn’t come up yet, but I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that,” said Scott Fisher, senior offensive lineman.

“For us, we have to push ourselves that much harder to get above 21 points. We’ll see how it happens on Saturday.”