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The Topeka Capital Journal
Chris Klieman had an impossible task at K-State. A look back at his career.
- Story byThe Topeka Capital Journal
- Chris Klieman had an impossible task at K-State. A look back at his career.
MANHATTAN — Kansas State football had the impossible task of replacing the most iconic name ever to be associated with the university, yet it found someone who did so valiantly.
For seven seasons, Chris Klieman proved worthy of succeeding Bill Snyder as coach . It's now time for Klieman to hand off the reins to the program after leading the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship and six bowl appearances during his K-State career.
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Klieman is retiring as the Wildcats' head coach, with K-State legend Collin Klein expected to replace him . The move comes after a frustrating year for Kansas State , but it doesn't overshadow the success and celebrations the Wildcats achieved under Klieman's leadership.
Here is a look back at Klieman's career in Manhattan:
Chris Klieman hired to replace Bill Snyder as head coach in 2019
Whoever was going to replace the most iconic figure in Kansas State's history was going to have big shoes to fill. Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor looked to a former colleague at one of his previous stops to take over.
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Taylor hired Klieman, an FCS national championship-winning coach at powerhouse North Dakota State, to become the program's next head coach. He was hired on Dec. 10, 2018, having led the Bison to four FCS national titles in five seasons. Taylor was NDSU's AD from 2001-14, where Klieman was on staff from 2011-18.
"This is an absolute dream job," Klieman said. "I'm so happy and thrilled to follow a legend in Coach Snyder. I've followed him from afar, went to his camps while playing in Waterloo, Iowa, and played against his Kansas State team when I was at Northern Iowa. The opportunity to follow in an icon's footsteps is something I don't take for granted and don't take lightly. I know I have huge shoes to fill, and I'm excited to carry on his legacy."
"I'm very excited to have Chris Klieman lead our program," Taylor added. "He is a perfect fit for us, both from a personal standpoint and as a head coach. He's a tremendous teacher who I had the pleasure to hire at NDSU and watched him turn into a very successful coach."
Chris Klieman led Kansas State to a bowl game in his first season
After Snyder's final season as the Wildcats' coach, Klieman helped the program make a bowl game after a one-year hiatus.
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The Wildcats went 8-4 in 2019 and qualified for the Liberty Bowl, setting the stage for better years to come. A win over then-No. 5 Oklahoma was the season's high point, and one of the better wins of the Klieman era.
Skylar Thompson continued his development that season, eventually becoming an NFL draft pick and starting multiple games over his career.
Kansas State responded to its COVID season by winning 8 games
Klieman's second season started strong by winning four of his first five games, including a win at then-No. 3 Oklahoma. The COVID pandemic affected the season, and they lost their final five games and missed out on a bowl game.
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The Wildcats doubled their win total the following year, even after starting the season with three wins and then three losses. A four-game winning streak got them bowl eligible before playing LSU in the Texas Bowl. The Wildcats won the game behind Thompson's three touchdown passes and 146 yards and three touchdowns on the ground from Deuce Vaughn .
The season helped catapult the Wildcats into a Big 12 championship season in 2022.
Chris Klieman led Kansas State to a Big 12 championship in 2022
No season for Klieman topped his fourth when he led the Wildcats to his lone Big 12 championship and a Sugar Bowl appearance. The season saw K-State win its final three games to earn a spot in Arlington, where it went on to defeat No. 3 TCU in an overtime thriller.
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In the game, K-State blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in the final 7:34, with Max Duggan running in an eight-yard score with under two minutes left. In overtime, Ty Zentner booted a game-winning 31-yard field goal after the Horned Frogs were stopped on fourth-and-goal from the one.
Will Howard finished the game with 199 yards and two touchdowns. Vaughn rushed for 130 yards and a score.
The win ultimately earned the Wildcats a Sugar Bowl appearance before TCU eventually advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship, where Georgia blew it out. The Wildcats played Alabama in New Orleans, where they lost 45-20, ending K-State's season at 10-4 and a No. 14 season-ending ranking.
Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman celebrates the victory over NC State after the game at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Klieman never lost to Kansas
The streak didn't end on Klieman's watch, as he went 7-0 against his in-state rival.
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It got close at times, with some thrilling comeback wins in 2023 and 2024, but Klieman went out by thumping Kansas with a 42-17 win in Lawrence on Oct. 25.
Kansas State's 17-game winning streak remains intact.
Kansas State had a disappointing final season under Chris Klieman
Unfortunately, Klieman's great K-State career ended with a frustrating season. The Wildcats clinched bowl eligibility during the final week of the year by beating Colorado, but they finished 6-6 when many believed that they'd contend for a Big 12 championship.
The 2025 season featured injuries and close losses, with five of them being by a combined 17 points.
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Klieman put his heart on the table following the Wildcats' 51-47 loss at then-No. 12 Utah on Nov. 23. He choked up and had to be comforted by Taylor in the middle of his press conference.
"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 gotta 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."
Chris Klieman's surprise announcement follows 2025 season
Rumors had swirled that Klieman could retire after the 2025 season throughout the year, but the timing of his departure during early signing day came as somewhat of a surprise. After Taylor comforted Klieman during his emotional presser, he was overheard on a hot microphone saying that Klieman wasn't going anywhere.
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That apparently changed in the two weeks after, with Klieman stepping down, and Klein expected to become the Wildcats' next head coach. Klein, a legendary quarterback at K-State from 2009-12, served as a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator on Klieman's staff from 2019-23. Klein was on Snyder's staff in 2017 and 2018.
Klieman is likely to make one final coaching appearance in the Wildcats' to-be-determined bowl game, which would be his sixth in seven years. Over his career, he has a 54-34 record, a Big 12 title, three wins over Oklahoma, and a handful of NFL and All-American standouts.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_ , contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Chris Klieman highs and lows as Kansas State football coach
