Chris Klieman hires Wyoming’s Scottie Hazelton as new K-State defensive coordinator
Chris Klieman has found a new defensive coordinator, and the Kansas State football team once again has a complete coaching staff.
The Wildcats announced Tuesday that they have hired Scottie Hazelton as defensive coordinator. He comes to Manhattan after two years with Wyoming, where he held the same title.
“I have known Scottie for a long time and couldn’t be more excited for him to be a part of our staff,” Klieman said in a statement. “He is one of the top defensive coordinators in the college game right now and has quickly asserted himself as a rising name in our profession. His experience at all levels of the game, including at Power Five schools and the NFL, and also his familiarity with our schemes makes him a great fit for our program.”
Hazelton’s defenses produced solid numbers at Wyoming. The Cowboys ranked 19th nationally in yards allowed per game (326.2) and in scoring (22) last season. In 2017, the Cowboys allowed just 17.5 points per game.
Before Wyoming, he was a linebackers coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2013, he was defensive coordinator at Nevada.
K-State will pay Hazelton a base salary of $550,000 next season, making him the highest-paid assistant on Klieman’s coaching staff. His contract, obtained by The Eagle through a records request, runs through Feb. 28, 2021 and features two years of guaranteed money. He can earn up to an extra $196,000 per year in performance-based incentives.
He made $400,000 last season at Wyoming.
Hazelton was an obvious candidate for the opening, as he has shared history with Klieman.
Hazelton coached alongside Klieman as a defensive assistant at North Dakota State in 2011. Hazelton was the coordinator and Klieman coached defensive backs that season. Hazelton went on to work other defensive jobs for other teams, while Klieman stayed at North Dakota State and became head coach.
They will reunite in Manhattan.
K-State hopes Hazelton will stick around longer than the defensive coordinator he replaces. Ted Monachino accepted a job with the Bears as a senior defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach before coaching a game with the Wildcats.
The Bears reportedly began showing interest in Monachino last week after they brought in Chuck Pagano as defensive coordinator. Monachino previously served as defensive coordinator under Pagano when they were both with the Indianapolis Colts in 2016 and 2017.
Klieman hired Monachino as K-State’s defensive coordinator in late December. He was previously serving as a senior defensive analyst for the Missouri Tigers, but he has a long history of coaching in the NFL.
The Wildcats were set to pay Monachino $525,000 during his first season as defensive coordinator. He will walk away from that contract without any financial penalty. The deal featured no buyout if Monachino left K-State for a NFL job.
This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 10:26 AM.