MANHATTAN, Kansas (AP/KFGO) – Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman is retiring after seven seasons with the Wildcats, a person familiar with his decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday, ending a tenure that included a Big 12 championship and a bowl trip every year but one.
The former NDSU Bison head coach has led Kansas State since 2019. Before heading to Manhatten, Kansas, Klieman led the Bison to a 67-6 record and three national championships.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced. Kansas State pushed back an 11 a.m. local time news conference for national signing day to 4 p.m., and Klieman and athletic director Gene Taylor were to speak at that time.
The school is targeting Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein, who played quarterback for Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder at Kansas State and later served a prominent role on Kleiman’s first staff in Manhattan, to be his replacement.
It is unclear whether Klein would be allowed to coach the Aggies if they are selected for the College Football Playoff.
The Wildcats were a popular pick to challenge for the Big 12 title this season, and potentially make the College Football Playoff for the first time. Instead, they lost their opener to Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, got embarrassed by Army at home a few weeks later, and needed to beat Colorado this past weekend to finish 6-6 and qualify for a bowl game.
They are still awaiting their destination, and it is expected that Klieman will coach them there one last time.
The past couple of years have clearly worn on the 58-year-old Klieman, who replaced Snyder in 2019 following a successful tenure at North Dakota State, where he captured four Football Championship Subdivision titles in a five-year span.
The native of Waterloo, Iowa, was almost immediately embraced by the blue-collar Kansas State fanbase, which saw in Klieman a hardworking Midwesterner much like themselves. His teams played much the same way that Snyder’s did the previous generation, avoiding penalties and mental mistakes while earning a reputation for physicality and toughness.
Yet in the years since Klieman was hired, the college football landscape has fundamentally changed. The transfer portal coupled with name, image and likeness payments have dramatically altered the way that teams are built, and the recruit-and-develop style of both Snyder and Klieman has become nearly impossible to successfully sustain.
Tension seemed to boil over for Klieman following a 51-47 loss to No. 15 Utah on Nov. 22, a game that the Wildcats had dominated.
He opened with a lengthy statement in which he praised the effort shown by his team, which has been ransacked by injuries, and then Klieman addressed a segment of the Kansas State fan base that had begun calling for his job amid a disappointing year.
“I’ve heard it enough that the kids have cashed in and that we need to get new leadership over here and new players, new coaches. I’m tired of it,” Klieman said. “I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m tired of it. I’ve given my friggin’-ass life to this place for seven years — I’ve given everything for seven years. And I think I deserve something, a little respect.”
Klieman choked up several times during the news conference. At one point, Taylor approached Klieman and gave him a hug.
“You ain’t going anywhere, bud,” Taylor told him. “Understand that. We’ve got your back. We’ve got your back.”
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