Chris Klieman shares importance of getting contract extension from Kansas State

Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman received a major sign of approval in May when he received a contract extension set to last through the 2030 season. The 55-year-old head coach joined the Wildcats program starting with the 2019 season and has led the team to three winning seasons and a Big 12 title.

He was hired by Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor, who had also hired him for the head coaching job at North Dakota State.

Getting the opportunity to coach the Wildcats and continue on for an extended period of time thanks to the extension is something that excites Klieman.

“I’m indebted to Gene Taylor for giving me an opportunity at North Dakota State to be a head coach, and then — not trying to win the press conference — but believing in what people can do, and he hired me at Kansas State, and he hired all of us at Kansas State,” Klieman said at Big 12 Media Days.

Klieman was extremely successful with the Bison in Fargo, N.D., winning four national titles in his five seasons leading the program.

He left the FCS powerhouse with a 69-6 record over those five years, including a perfect 15-0 in his final campaign with the team.

Klieman was hired by Kansas State at a potential inflection point for the program. He was replacing a legend in Bill Synder, who is by far the best coach in school history. His 215 wins are significantly more than anyone else who has ever coached the Wildcats. So much so that if Kansas State wins 10 games this year, Klieman will be second all-time with 40 wins.

But despite that pressure of coming after a legend like Snyder, Klieman has lived up to the challenge and then some.

“I really enjoy Manhattan,” Klieman said. “I think it’s a great community. I think it’s a great college town for sure. I see the excitement that is going on in Manhattan right now, and I’m just telling you, who you work for is really, really important to me. It’s really important to me, and I’ve got a great job, but I’m surrounded by really good assistants. I’m surrounded by a great support staff. I’ve got a locker room full of guys that believe in each other, believe in us as coaches, and then I’ve got an athletic director that has our back. That made that really simple for me to sign and say this is where I want to be.”