With Chris Klieman reportedly set to step down as the Kansas State head football coach, and Collin Klein set to return home and replace him, a new report suggests K-State may have had to move faster on this than they otherwise would have wanted to.
TexAgs‘ Billy Liucci posted on X that Klein was the pick to replace Alex Golesh, who took the Auburn job, at USF. And then the news broke of Chris Klieman’s sudden retirement.
Did USF’s potential decision for Kansas State’s hand? Or was this already something that was in motion in Manhattan?
It’s not entirely clear, but what we do know is that Klein was going to be a sought-after candidate in the coaching cycle, but that there was always interest from many in Manhattan, along with Klein himself, in an eventual return to the Wildcats.
Klieman delivered a Big 12 Championship in 2022, kept the Wildcats relevant in a loaded conference, and finished with an overall impressive record (54-34 overall, 36-27 BIG 12). Still, there’s been a sense this year that things were starting to wear thin. The grind of the modern college game, the portal chaos, NIL demands, it’s a lot. If Klieman’s ready to hand it off, no one can really blame him.
For Kansas State, getting Klein back as soon as possible is a huge win for the Wildcats, as Klein was also considered a possible candidate for Oklahoma State, Arkansas and some of the other openings.
