MANHATTAN - Collin Klein got his first look at Kansas State’s sideline as head coach and, before anything else, he saw the man he had just replaced.
When the locker room doors opened before Klein’s debut, Chris Klieman was there. Klein smiled, walked over and hugged him.
"It was special; it was very special," Klein said. "There was so much that I could say, and it's hard, and I've tried to say it the best I can in so many ways.
But there's so much I owe him from a developmental standpoint and relationship standpoint. I can't think him enough."
That moment fit the unusual handoff Kansas State has managed. Klein was hired the day after Klieman announced his retirement, and the transition came after Klieman had already told him the job was about to open and should be his. Klieman also pushed K-State athletic director Gene Taylor toward Klein, calling him the obvious choice and saying he was ready.
Klein was part of Klieman’s staff until leaving for Texas A&M, where he spent the last two years as offensive coordinator. Even with that move, the connection between the two remained intact.
On Saturday, Klieman was back around the program, pumping up the crowd on the jumbotrons before opening the door as the Wildcats headed to the field. Taylor later honored him on the field with a retirement gift of golf clubs, and Klieman watched Kansas State roll to a 71-3 win over Nicholls, the same opponent he faced in his Kansas State debut.
"How everything worked out, and I've said this the whole time, is that this is not very normal in this crazy world," Klein said.
Klieman’s seven-year run ended after a frustrating 6-6 season, but he remains around the program as an advisor to Taylor. He has been to practices and stayed connected as a friend to Kansas State athletics.
When asked how fans should remember Klieman, Klein pointed to two things. First, he said, Klieman carried himself with the same high character and integrity every day. Second, he called him a champion who won the league and maintained a standard of excellence when few believed it could be done.
"What would be most important to him is that he was the same person of high character and integrity every single day, no matter what, and that's what he would care about the most.
"The second thing is that he's a champion. He won this league and carried on a standard of excellence when no one thought anyone else could. He's incredible."
In Other News...
Kansas State Heads Into Road Test With One Big Health Concern
Kansas States trip to Washington State comes with the usual early-season injury watch, and the Wildcats have at least one notable situation to monitor on the other sideline. Cougars senior receiver Tony Freeman is likely to miss the game after hurting his knee in the previous matchup, a blow that could alter how Washington State approaches its passing game against a Kansas State defense trying to settle in on the road.
The Wildcats have some health questions of their own, though the outlook appears better than it first looked for starting linebacker Mekhi Mason after he left a recent game with an injury. Left guard Tanner Morley is also still working back from a fall camp injury and was limited in his snaps, leaving Kansas State with a few moving parts as it prepares for a tricky road test and tries to get as close to full strength as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Gets Encouraging News On A Key Defensive Starter
Kansas State got a little relief in the aftermath of its season opener, where linebacker Mekhi Mason went down with a lower-body injury and left the Wildcats waiting for an update. Coach Collin Klein said the issue may not be as serious as it first appeared, a welcome development for a defense that had already built Mason into a key piece alongside Gabe Powers in the middle of the linebacker group.
Mason arrived as a transfer from Louisiana Tech with a rsum that included second-team All-Conference USA honors, and his role showed how quickly Kansas State trusted him to stabilize the unit. The encouraging part now is not just that the injury appears less severe, but that a return could come soon, leaving the Wildcats with a meaningful decision about how quickly to ease him back into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State May Have Found A Crucial Answer On The Offensive Line
Ryan Howard got his first start at left tackle for Kansas State after the season-ending injury to the player who had been holding down the spot, and the Wildcats needed that kind of stability up front in a hurry. He settled in well enough to be part of a dominant showing against Nicholls, with Kansas State pounding the ball for 312 yards and finding the end zone six times on the ground.
There was also a little extra family support behind the scenes, as Howards older brother, Will, went over game film with him before the matchup. For a line that suddenly had to absorb a major change, the debut mattered not just because of how the Wildcats played, but because it offered a first look at whether Howard can be part of the answer at a critical spot moving forward. [Read more 🡒]