K-State Promotes Collin Klein to Offensive Coordinator
The coaching carousel has hit some schools pretty hard this season, namely Oklahoma, TCU, and Texas Tech in the Big 12. However, things in Manhattan, Kansas, are fairly quiet outside of Courtney Messingham getting the boot after three seasons as the Wildcats offensive coordinator under Chris Klieman.
Now, Kansas State has found his replacement, and they didn’t have to look very far.
Collin Klein, former star quarterback for the Wildcats, has been the quarterbacks’ coach in Manhattan since 2017. After a month or so of being the interim offensive coordinator, Klein has now been promoted to full-time OC.
After the Wildcats piled up 42 points, 442 yards, and 22 first downs under Klein’s direction in the Texas Bowl against LSU, there was growing confidence that this would be the outcome of the coordinator search, and now it has been confirmed. Head Coach Chris Klieman talked about Klein’s preparation and leadership being factors in the decision to make him the guy full-time in KSU’s official press release.
“Over the course of the last month, Collin displayed the type of leadership and planning that put us in a position to execute and be successful in the bowl game against LSU,” Klieman said. “He deserves this opportunity, and the constant dialogue and communication that he had with me and with our staff and players throughout the game and the entire bowl preparation period was something that really impressed me. Collin bleeds purple, and I am excited for him to lead our offense.”
Klein learned preparation from quite possibly the best to ever do it, as he was a grad assistant under Coach Bill Snyder in 2014-15. In his younger years, Snyder was known to stay overnight in his office in preparation for games so that he could spend more time studying film and the tendencies of his opponents. It might take that kind of effort from Klein to get the Wildcats offense humming week-in and week-out as it did against LSU, but there’s no doubt that Manhattan’s golden boy is the right guy for the job.
“My family and I are excited to serve in this new role and impact young men through the game of football,” Klein said in the university press release. “I absolutely love our players, staff, and fans. We look forward to this challenge and are so thankful to Coach Klieman and our leadership for entrusting me with this responsibility. K-State is and has been a special part of our family, and we are so blessed the Lord has allowed us to continue to be a part of it. Go Cats!”
