Gene Taylor on Hiring Collin Klein: ' Probably the Easiest Hire I've Ever Made'

Gene Taylor has made many tough decisions as the athletic director at K-State, but hiring Collin Klein was the easiest.

Kansas State head coach Collin Klein speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Gene Taylor has made many tough decisions as the athletic director at K-State. From managing the financial situation with NIL to hiring coaches for various sports, he has had to make decisions that impact the school for years to come. One of the bigger decisions he has made recently was when he announced that Collin Klein would be returning to Manhattan to become the coach after Chris Klieman retired last December.

During Big 12 Media Days in Frisco on Wednesday, Taylor was asked about the decision to hire Klein as the coach. While he has had to make many difficult choices, he told John Kurtz and Derek Young on the 3Maw podcast that bringing back Klein was as easy of a choice as he has had to make.

"That was interesting because we went from kind of an emotional day with Chris (Klieman) retiring, to, you know, a few days later, having a massive celebration," Taylor said. "So, that was a little unique. Before he left, Collin and I had to start having conversations about finding the right job. I actually thought he might have to take a step to become a head coach. The timing was such an easy decision, it was probably the easiest decision I've ever made."

So far, so good for Klein

Hiring Klein was always going to be a hit with the fans. Very few players, if any, have captivated the K-State fanbase quite like Klein did as the quarterback from 2008-2012. While he is going to have some grace with his background, the fans are still going to expect Klein and his staff to get results.

With the season still nearly two months away, the way for Klein to continue building the excitement was to start fast on the recruiting trail. He has done just that, as the Wildcats have signed 27 players in the class of 2027. The class is currently ranked No.31 in the class, and trails only Texas Tech in the Big 12.

On Wednesday, Klein did an outstanding job with the media, looking like the guy who was destined to be the head coach at K-State. Now, there is still a long ways to go, and the bottom line will ultimately be how many games do the Wildcats win. However, Klein has made that easy decision of Taylor's look like the right one, as he has been delivering in all aspects of building a program.