Kansas State Head Coach Collin Klein on Coming Home to Lead His Alma Mater | Sports Illustrated

Brian Fisher here for Sports Illustrated at Big 12 Media Day joined now by new Kansas State head coach Colin Klein.

Does that ever get, do you ever get used to that at this point?

Uh, not really yet, but, um, just again, it's, it's a tremendous honor, uh, being able to be a part and, and impact the program that I care so much about and has impacted me and my family and, Uh, just excited to serve our players and our team.

I mean, I joke with you about being going through this, this car wash, if you will, at media days as a player.

I mean, it was not too long ago that that you were doing that.

Has it still set in though that, hey, I, I am a coach, you know, and I know you've been doing it for a while, but now, now I'm the head coach of the alma mater.

Yeah, I think it, it feels like yesterday on one hand, but then, you know, on another, it, it feels like a completely different life almost, right, in, in.

Now having been on this, this coaching track for, for a while, uh, you know, it's a, Your journey is preparing you for that next step, and, and this is the next step, and, and we're ready to go.

What, what did you learn these last couple of years when you were at A&M just in terms of getting away from the program a little bit and kind of understanding how maybe Mike Elko operates, how things are a little bit differently compared to everybody that you knew there?

Yeah, I mean, it was, it's always good to get out of your comfort zone, uh, being able to grow in, in those two years, I think was, uh, was exponential for me for sure.

Um, also being able to walk into a situation and, and Uh, build a program from, from scratch, right?

And I think just getting that experience, seeing that even though I'm coming back to a place I'm familiar, have history, uh, but you're also having to set the tone and, and, hey, we are building this team, this, this program, this culture in this new era, uh, this way, and, and every one of those details is just as important, even though I have a lot of history, right?

So I think being able to see that.

Uh, the last couple of years was, was tremendous as well.

When, when you look back, and you do look at and reflect back on your, on your time there as maybe an assistant, where there are things in the back of your mind saying, all right, if I, if I came back and I took over, I'm gonna change this, I'm going to tweak this, can I make it your own?

Yeah, definitely, in the dream phase, to some level, but some of that is really hard because you start doing that too much and you're not where your feet are, you're not being present and, and you're probably Uh, not maximizing, uh, you know, the, the current role, the current position that's even gonna lead to that next one, right?

Um, so, and when that time comes, there, there are so many variables that even going through it now that you really don't know and, and can't control based on the timing of things.

Uh, that are going to throw wrenches in, in all of those anyways while the exercise may be beneficial.

So, uh, it's a, but very, very excited, very proud.

We, I think we found the right people in the right positions that are the culture fit and, and a fit for what we're trying to do, and, and how we all have worked together the last 6 months as a staff, how our players have bought in and, and all the work that they've put in the 1st 6 months and believing in what we're doing and where we're going.

Uh, it's exciting.

Is there any hesitation knowing that , all right, what happens if, uh, you know, I, I have a bad season at this place and people are , you know, have such an idealistic, uh, viewpoint of, of how my tenure went as a player and as an assistant there that, all right, oh, what happens if I have a bad year?

Uh, I think high expectations are a great thing, and, and I don't think.

Uh, you can't look at it like that.

I mean, every single one of us as, as a staff and our players, no one wants to win more than them.

No one wants, and, and when things are, don't go well, uh, no one wants to get it fixed more, more than us and, and, and them.

And I think, uh, just again, as part of this football life that me and my wife have been on.

Uh, I've been so fortunate with Coach Snyder, um, laying the foundation for that career and that life of like, you don't look at it like that.

Like, hey, we expect to win, we're gonna prepare hard, we're gonna do and, and take care of the things that, uh, you have to do that will lead to success and believe they will lead to success.

And when that happens, how that happens, that's the beauty of the journey.

You don't know what that's gonna look like.

But that's the mindset that I've lived basically my whole football life.

Well, you mentioned the guy that's on the building's name in terms of the football stadium there.

You have obviously a predecessor that you work for that you're taking over for.

How much have you leaned on those guys?

How many conversations have you had with, uh, you know, those two mentors of yours ?

I mean, tremendous.

I mean, they're both there.

If I've needed to call them or had a question.

I mean, both of them are, are, have been absolutely tremendous, I think.

Um, it's cool too, because the different phases of, of my journey and, and how they've impacted those is , uh, I think incredibly unique, uh, and something that doesn't always happen in, in this profession, let alone at the same place, right?

Um, and so for us to be able to have the relationships that we do is, Uh, a credit to their character, integrity, their heart for Kansas State, their heart for people, um, and very, very blessed to, to carry that on.

What's been the one thing that's maybe surprised you, uh, taking over and being a head coach for the first time?

Uh, I, I think the amount of little decisions that you have to make that are extremely important and, and affect every person through, through the program.

Uh, and how many of those that you have to be on point with it all the time is, you know, it's gonna happen, but I think going through that has, has been, uh, interesting for sure.

As far as your, your current team, I know, like, so you certainly have a quarterback that you know well and, and recruited there the first time.

What, what do you, what, what kind of has been the issue with, with Avery these last couple of years, and where do, where do you think he can grow, uh, getting back to.

Under your tutelage there.

Yeah, I, I think, um, you know, there's no substitute for experience.

I think the experience that he's gotten in the last couple of years, um, has served him very, very well.

Getting back with him in the meeting room this spring, kind of seeing his maturity.

He is so steady, he's very, very competitive, um, he's very stoic, but he's very cerebral.

Like sometimes on, I know on TV it looks like he's, You know, very laid back, very straight line, but like his, his processor is, is, and his processing power is extremely high.

Uh, being able to maximize that, being able to build, uh, our offense around him and his strengths and what allows us to be successful, uh, that's gonna be the name of the game for him.

Um, you know, and, and he and I thinking the same way.

Like we have in the past, I'm very excited for that.

Have you kind of looked at your roster and how you go about managing that moving forward?

Were there certain areas that were a concern for you that maybe were not coming out of spring ball and other areas maybe that are more of a concern going into fall camp that you weren't expecting?

Well, I think from a big picture standpoint, very excited about the competition that we have at a lot of spots.

You know, there's a lot of position groups that are very untested at Kansas State, right?

So we're having to rebuild our O-line, we had to rebuild our receiver room, we had to rebuild our defensive line for the most part, um, had to find some pieces in the secondary.

So, yeah, that's a lot, right?

Um, but a lot of people are dealing with a lot.

A lot of our guys that we were able to bring in have very, uh, have had game experience and game production, which is very, very important.

Um, and then getting that group and those units to gel together to become what they can be, uh, that's the journey, that's the, that's gonna be the fun process about it, um, because of the competition that we have at a lot of those spots.

I'm not worried, right?

Um, it'll be very interesting to see how they, they take shape.

Is there somebody maybe in, in one of those groups that, uh, we, we maybe don't know right now, but, you know, come this fall they're, they're gonna be a household name they're in the Little Apple.

Yeah, I, I think, um, you know, I think Elijah Hill, a defensive end, uh, I think he's gonna do some really, really good things.

Um, you know, I think Joe Jackson may be more known, but also, uh, Jay Harris and, and around him, I think is, is gonna, uh, do some really, really nice things.

Um, and, and we'll be curious to see who, uh, arises out of the secondary, uh, with Zayshaun and, and Don back there.

It's gonna be a difficult league for, for any of these coaches, you know, given how so closely bunched a lot of these teams here.

You hear parity talked about a lot here at Big 12 Media Days.

How are you kind of wrapping your heads around that and the fact that, look, you're going to have to come down to a lot of 1 score games in the 4th quarter and try to win those?

Well, uh, you know, everybody knows the margins are thin .

They're thin in college football, period, in this league, um, obviously very small, and, and that's why.

Uh, you can't think about that.

You got to think about finding every inch through every process that we have from the weight room, from the nutrition, from the training table to academics, to meetings, to walkthroughs, to practice, to fundamental, like that's the finding, that's where those inches are.

And so, uh, I cannot wait till Saturday afternoon to try to find them.

It's gonna be a little emotional coming out of that tunnel that first time.

Probably.

I just hope I don't trip with all the smoke and fancy stuff we got going on.

I just soon to try to stay on my feet.

Well, you know, as a head coach, you can always avoid that, uh, now, you know, you don't have to run through the tunnel, but, uh, somebody who, who's definitely used to it, Colin, thank you so much for stopping by here at Sports Illustrated at the Big 12 Media Days in Frisco.

Thanks for having me.