Manhattan
Collin Klein had to fight back tears when he was named offensive coordinator at Kansas State.
The job meant that much to him.
The year was 2022, and he was getting his first shot as a play-caller. That alone made it feel like a dream gig. But there was more to it. Not only was Klein calling plays for a Big 12 offense, he was doing it for his alma mater.
Klein spent four years in Manhattan as a quarterback and then six more as an assistant coach.
College football coaches rarely get to pick and choose where they work. Moving from team to team is often part of the job description. But Klein got to stay home, where he met his wife Shalin (a former K-State women’s basketball player) and started a family.
He considered himself lucky for that.
“It’s very, very, very rare,” Klein said during an interview at the time. “It’s something that my wife and I both don’t take for granted, and it’s a tremendous honor. There is no other place we would rather be. It’s a special place and always will be for me and my family.”
Then-Kansas State quarterbacks coach Collin Klein poses for a portrait at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Aug. 9, 2019. James Wooldridge KC Star file photo
Fast-forward a few years and imagine how much it must now mean to Klein to be taking over as Kansas State’s head coach.
Sources confirmed that Chris Klieman decided to retire on Wednesday after seven successful seasons with the Wildcats.
K-State only targeted one person as his replacement: Klein.
Klein left K-State two years ago to take over as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M. He saw it as an opportunity to spread his wings as a play-caller and to experience life in the SEC. Most importantly, though, he viewed it as a necessary career step if he ever wanted to be considered as K-State’s head coach.
It’s going to happen.
The Wildcats are working to finalize a deal with Klein, according to sources, and he is eager to return to Manhattan.
Kansas State’s football program is undergoing a transition from retiring head coach Chris Klieman, right, to Collin Klein, right. Klein is a former KSU quarterback now coaching at Texas A&M as the Aggies’ offensive coordinator. Getty Images
This is the succession plan that K-State fans have been dreaming about ever since it became apparent that Klein was destined to become a head coach.
It’s easy to see why EMAW Nation remains loyal to Klein. He has guided the Wildcats to some memorable moments.
As a player, he was known for his leadership and his toughness. Klein didn’t have the strongest arm, but he sure knew how to run … and win. Klein threw for 4,724 yards and 30 touchdowns during his four seasons as a player. He also rushed for 2,485 yards and 56 touchdowns.
Former Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein passes the ball during a game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 3, 2012. Travis Heying/file photo The Wichita Eagle
With Klein at quarterback, K-State won 10 games in reached the Cotton Bowl in 2011. A year later, K-State won 11 games and played in the Fiesta Bowl. Klein was a Heisman Trophy finalist as a senior. He also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award that year.
From there, he tried to make it as a professional quarterback in both the NFL and the CFL. But he was never able to earn a roster spot.
That paved the way for him to return to K-State as an assistant coach under Bill Snyder.
When Snyder retired, Klieman opted to keep Klein on as his quarterbacks coach. Then he promoted Klein to offensive coordinator.
K-State won 54 games under Klieman’s watch, but the Wildcats were at their best with Klein in charge of the offense.
First, they steamrolled LSU 42-20 at the Texas Bowl when Klein was the interim OC. Then they won 10 games and claimed a Big 12 championship in 2022. The Wildcats averaged 32.3 points and 418.8 yards per game.
Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein, right, watches warm-ups before a college football game against the Samford Bulldogs at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Nov. 22, 2025. Tim Warner Getty Images
The K-State offense was even stronger in 2023, when the Wildcats averaged 37.1 points and 445.2 yards per game. K-State won nine games and played in the Pop-Tarts Bowl that year.
Klein has continued to coach an explosive offense at Texas A&M. This season, the Aggies have averaged 36.3 points and 454.4 yards per game behind top playmakers Marcel Reed and KC Concepcion. Texas A&M finished the regular season with an 11-1 record.
But his time there is coming to an end.
Klein is about to return to a place that he considers special to work his dream job as Kansas State’s head football coach.
Related Stories from Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett
The Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.
