How life & coaching have changed for Chris Klieman in his years at Kansas State
Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman knew exactly what to say earlier this week when he was reminded that he is about to embark on his sixth season with the Wildcats.
“Hard to believe,” he said.
Indeed, much has changed for both Klieman and K-State since he coached his first game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in 2009.
Back then, EMAW fans had serious doubts about their new head coach. Sure, he won a bunch of FCS championships at North Dakota State, but was he ready to compete in the Big 12? Yes, he had an exciting new vision for K-State football, but could it it live up to what Snyder built in Manhattan?
Those questions have been answered in a positive way. Outside of a forgettable pandemic season in 2020, Klieman has put his own winning fingerprint on the football program by guiding the Wildcats to 39 victories, four bowls and one conference championship.
K-State named its football stadium after Snyder and built a statue in his honor after the former coach turned the once hapless Wildcats into consistent winners. But Klieman has escaped his predecessor’s shadow.
Perhaps that is why Klieman has learned to savor wins and appreciate sellout crowds more than he did six years ago, when he was still trying to prove himself as a head coach.
“I take it all in,” Klieman said. “I probably do a better job of that now that I did in Year 1, where I didn’t know what was happening.”
On Saturday, when K-State hosts Tennessee-Martin in its first game of the 2024 season, Klieman will do his best to soak up the pre-game atmosphere.
Fans are certainly looking forward to Year 6 under Klieman, as the Wildcats are expected to contend for a Big 12 championship.
“I love our band,” Klieman said. “I love hearing it as they’re coming in. The student section will be rolling in full force an hour before kickoff. Those things I never take for granted, and I always take in. I take them in better now than I did when I first got here. It’s just the pageantry of college football.”
It’s also worth pointing out how much Klieman has changed as a coach during his tenure at K-State.
The Wildcats look significantly different on both of sides of the ball than they did in 2019. Klieman likes to say “football is football,” because good players and good coaches can win at any level. But he needed to make a few changes before he could win big at K-State. His style has evolved over time.
You can spot the differences most easily on offense, where Klieman is now on his third coordinator with Conor Riley now calling the plays. In Year 1, Klieman’s team huddled between just about every play and tried to beat teams with long drives that lasted 15 plays and drained time off the clock.
Now, the Wildcats go fast and try to score 50 points every time they take the field. He wants the K-State offense to be “more explosive” this season with Avery Johnson taking over at quarterback.
You didn’t hear him say those words in his previous job at North Dakota State.
On defense, has switched from a 4-2-5 scheme to a 3-3-5 formation that features just three defensive linemen. He made the change to help K-State defend against quick opponents in the Big 12. There is a chance his defense could mature once again this season, as the Wildcats have mentioned they would like to get more defensive linemen on the field and go with multiple schemes.
Klieman has also embraced an aggressive approach on fourth downs. He once preferred to punt in those situations. Now he goes for it more often than not.
Few would have predicted this much change.
Even Klieman says that he couldn’t have envisioned some of the coaching moves he has made.
More changes might be on the way. If Klieman has proven anything during his time at K-State, it’s that he is not afraid to make adjustments if they help the Wildcats.
This story was originally published August 27, 2024 at 12:52 PM with the headline "How life & coaching have changed for Chris Klieman in his years at Kansas State."