$29.6 million college football coach reportedly retires after seven seasons

Kansas State finished the 2025 regular season 6-6 (5-4 Big 12), clinching bowl eligibility with a 24-14 win over Colorado on Saturday.

Despite a fifth straight bowl appearance for coach Chris Klieman's Wildcats, the year was inconsistent, with big wins over UCF, TCU, Kansas, and Oklahoma State, along with tight losses to Army, Arizona, Baylor, and Utah.

Now, the program has dealt another blow as Klieman is reportedly set to retire after seven seasons in Manhattan.

Klieman signed an eight-year extension in May 2023 that tied him to K-State through the 2030 season and set his pay at around $5.25-$5.5 million annually.

That extension also carried a substantial buyout of roughly $29.625 million if the school terminated the deal with many years remaining.

Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman is retiring, source confirms to @On3sports. https://t.co/nWSc9CIvvx
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) December 3, 2025

Klieman compiled a dominant record at North Dakota State (69-6) from 2014 to 2018 and captured four FCS national championships there before taking the Kansas State post in late 2018.

In Manhattan, he compiled a 54–34 mark, delivered the Wildcats’ 2022 Big 12 championship, and led K-State to bowl games in six of his seven seasons.

Across his head-coaching career, he is credited with 126 wins overall.

Kansas State Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman. — Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman on the sidelines against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half of the game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Looking ahead, Kansas State the athletic department and AD Gene Taylor are expected to address the situation formally with a news conference set for 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Multiple outlets say Texas A&M offensive coordinator and Kansas State alum Collin Klein is the leading candidate to take over and is expected to remain with the Aggies through their College Football Playoff run before formally assuming K-State’s job.

Klein was an All-American quarterback at Kansas State and has served on K-State staffs in recent years; he is in his second season as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator and has helped elevate the Aggies' offense into the national conversation.

If Klein is confirmed, it would be the 36-year-old's first official head coaching job.

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