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The Topeka Capital Journal
Kansas State football officially announces Chris Klieman's retirement
- Story byThe Topeka Capital Journal
- Kansas State football officially announces Chris Klieman's retirement
MANHATTAN — Kansas State football officially announced Chris Klieman's retirement , ending his successful seven-year stint in leading the Wildcats.
News of Klieman's retirement broke early morning on Dec. 3, along with reports that the school was targeting former K-State quarterback and coach and current Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein to become the program's next coach. No announcement on Klein has been made.
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"After many deep and thoughtful conversations with my family, we have decided that the time is right for me to retire from coaching," Klieman, the second-winningest coach in school history with 54 victories, said in a release. "This decision was not taken lightly and was the culmination of many factors, including my own personal health. I absolutely love coaching the game of football and developing players into young men, but now is the time for me to step away and spend more time with Rhonda and our three kids.
"I truly am thankful to Gene Taylor for trusting me with this program in 2018, and we have accomplished many great things, including winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship. K-State will always be a special part of our family's story, and we will forever be Wildcats."
Klieman led the Wildcats to six bowl appearances in seven years. Over his career, he has a 54-34 record, a Big 12 title and three wins over Oklahoma. KLieman looked over 26 First-Team All-American designations and eight All-Americans, including Felix Anudike-Uzomah (2021, 2022), Phillip Brooks (2020), Cooper Beebe (2022, 2023), Malik Knowles (2021, 2022), Randen Plattner (2022, 2023), Ben Sinnott (2023), Deuce Vaughn (2020, 2021, 2022) and Joshua Youngblood (2019).
"This has been an emotional day for myself, my family and Coach Klieman. Our friendship and family go back to when we first started working together at North Dakota State," athletic director Gene Taylor said in a release. "Chris Klieman has built a program and culture that embodies what it means to be a K-Stater. Following a legend was no easy task, and he quickly established himself as one of the best coaches in the Big 12 Conference and one of the most successful in our program's history.
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"He is a special person, and we have been fortunate to have him leading the young men in our program and being a first-class representative of Kansas State University. I will miss being able to work with Coach Klieman on a daily basis, and it has been an honor to do so the last several years. We wish him, Rhonda and the kids all the success and happiness they desire as they enter this next phase of their lives."
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 officially retires as Kansas State football coach
