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Kansas State

Collin Klein officially named head coach at alma mater Kansas State

Danby: Daniel Hager12/05/25DanielHagerOn3

Following Chris Klieman‘s retirement, Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein has officially been named head coach at his alma mater Kansas State. Klein played quarterback for the Wildcats from 2008-2012 and was previously the program’s offensive coordinator under Klieman from 2022-2023.

Kansas State Athletic Director Gene Taylor shut down rumors of Klein’s hire during Klieman’s retirement press conference on Wednesday, but the move has now been made official.

Klein has spent the past two seasons in College Station under head coach Mike Elko. With the former Heisman Trophy finalist leading the offense, Texas A&M is weeks away from embarking on its first ever College Football Playoff appearance. It is currently unknown whether or not Klein will continue to call plays for TAMU throughout the Playoff.

The move is years in the making for Klein, who has been outwardly vocal about wanting to be a head coach. There’s no better program to do so for the first time than the one he both starred at and began his coaching journey at.

“Absolutely,” Klein told AggieYell in November when asked about whether he’d like to run his own program. “It’s been a dream and a goal of mine, but it’s about being with the right people at the right time, and that’s here right now.”

Collin Klein has been a key cog in Texas A&M’s College Football Playoff push

With Klein calling plays for the past two seasons, Texas A&M has compiled a 19-6 record while averaging 33 points per game. He has also been key in quarterback Marcel Reed‘s development, as he evolved into a true Heisman Trophy contender under Klein’s leadership this season. Reed totaled 2,932 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions for a Playoff bound Aggies program and was one of the best arms in the entire Southeastern Conference.

The move will certainly excite K-State fans when it comes to the development of quarterback Avery Johnson, who disappointed a bit this season after being projected as a potential Big 12 Player of the Year candidate prior to the season. Johnson committed to returning to the program earlier this week, although that occurred prior to Klieman’s retirement announcement.

Klein now takes over a program that has posted an above .500 record in five of its past seven seasons. In Klieman’s final season, the Wildcats opened the year ranked No. 17 in the Preseason AP Poll Rankings and finished with a 6-6 record. The injection of a young, familiar face will be a much needed move for the program, which hasn’t employed a head coach under the age of 40 since 2006 (Ron Prince).