A Potential Head Coaching Candidate for Kansas State that is Under the Radar

Kansas State can consider this little-known coach, who is not widely discussed, if they want a younger, energetic, and highly motivated leader.

Kansas State Wildcats mascot Willie the Wildcat | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Many names have been mentioned as potential head coaches for Kansas State, but this name has not been mentioned until now.

Matt Braeuer is quickly becoming a well-known coach among those in the college basketball community. It's risky to hire a coach who has only been a Division I head coach for one year, but he had a lot of success at Stephen F. Austin this season, and some can argue that he has many connections in the area, which makes him an intriguing choice for Kansas State as a potential hire as their next head basketball coach.

Matt Braeuer would be a good hire for the Wildcats for the following reasons.

In his first season as head coach of the Stephen F. Austin program, Braeuer has achieved a record of 24–3, which is quite remarkable for someone in their first year. He took over a program that had an overall record of 14-17 and has won approximately 90% of its games this season under his leadership. SFA's record this season indicates that he possesses the ability to swiftly and efficiently transform a Division I program.

Braeuer was a stellar player at Wichita State, where he was a three-year starter at point guard for the Shockers. He is from Belton, Texas, and he has extensive knowledge of the Big 12 from his assistant coaching days. Kansas State would greatly benefit from his insights on recruiting in Big 12 country and the state of Texas.

Brauer was an assistant coach for seven seasons at North Texas and Texas Tech under Grant McCasland. Many people really respect McCasland's teaching tree because the assistant coaches it has produced have been known for being "tough and gritty." Ross Hodge and Dave Smart are two examples, as well as Brauer, who were former assistant coaches under McCasland.

College basketball analysts and experts have talked a lot about how much better Braeuer's SFA team is at defense this season. This mindset is similar to when he was at North Texas as an assistant coach, where he helped orchestrate and facilitate the best defense in the country during the 2021-2022 season and then followed it up by allowing only 55.8 points per game in the 2022-23 season. His "defense-first" thoughts are in line with K-State's best teams in modern memory.

Stephen F. Austin is elite at making opposing offenses uncomfortable. HC Matt Braeuer sheds light on how some of these results come to fruition.

And later Coach Braeuer talks about how a brand new team/staff with just two returning players have fast tracked to a 20-3 start. pic.twitter.com/pZkmkT557Z

— Rocco Miller (@RoccoMiller8) February 3, 2026

Brauer has shown in a brief period of time at SFA that he understands the latest regulations in college basketball. With this season's roster that he assembled, he made it look easy to put together a team with help from the transfer portal, and he holds players responsible, as his team has not had any off-court issues this season.

Braeuer has dedicated a significant amount of his time to high-major benches at Sam Houston State and North Texas. He, though, has also been an assistant coach at Texas Tech and a video coordinator at Maryland, so the Big 12 and the expectations of coaching in the conference that come with a Power 4 head coaching position will not be overwhelming for him.

Coach Turgeon and his son Will came to the game tonight. I’ll never forget his belief in me when he recruited me. I owe A LOT to him for where I am today! pic.twitter.com/QKjlTOdIts

— Matt Braeuer (@MattBraeuer) February 1, 2026

During his time as an assistant, Braeuer helped prepare many top-level guards. He coached Javion Hamlet and Tylor Perry at North Texas, two of the guards who developed under his coaching while he was an assistant there. K-State fans are familiar with Perry because he transferred to become a Wildcat when Braeuer left to become an assistant coach at Texas Tech. Because he was a starting point guard when he played college basketball at Wichita State, he knows how to help guys in the backcourt develop.

Since Braeuer is 39 years old, he is a "young, hungry" hire in many people's eyes. Is he a risky hire? Technically, yes, because he lacks head coaching experience at the Power Four level, but the Kansas State athletic department and athletic director should still consider him. If he had not been an assistant coach at Texas Tech for two seasons, then those opposing his possible hire may have a valid point. However, he at least should be considered for an interview.

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