Chris Klieman brings new energy, coaching style to K-State football practice
It was hard to spot Chris Klieman when the Kansas State football team spread out for practice earlier this week.
He wasn’t standing at midfield with a whistle in his mouth, surveying drills like a CEO style head coach taking a step back to view the big picture. Nor was he dressed any differently than any other member of his coaching staff. In order to spot the new man in charge of K-State football, you almost had to know where to look.
But there Klieman was near the south end of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, working exclusively with a handful of players he wanted to try out at safety. Wearing gray shorts, a long sleeve purple Dri-Fit shirt, sunglasses and a baseball hat, Klieman ran with D.J. Render and Marcus Hayes. He used to play defensive back at Northern Iowa and he spent most of his early coaching years teaching defense, so he tried to pass along some knowledge like a position coach.
“I still enjoy doing that,” Klieman said.
It can’t be easy for a head coach to balance the macro and micro of his team, but it seems like Klieman wants to do exactly that and take a hands-on approach.
“I am going to listen in on the defensive conversations,” Klieman said. “I am involved with them so I think the players know that they can come to me and ask, ‘Hey, what do I do on this?’ It’s a balancing act, because I still like to have fun with some of those offensive guys. Sometimes they hear me probably cheering for the defense, just because I am trying to coach a little bit.”
That approach is a bit different from what returning K-State players have grown accustomed to from their head coach. Snyder, who retired after 27 legendary seasons last December, used to offer suggestions to individuals during and after practice, but he rarely put his hands on the ground and demonstrated technique. More often than not, he watched practice from afar, whispering notes into a voice recorder.
Both styles can work, but Klieman’s approach seems to be a hit.
“He brings a real competitive spirit,” junior nickelback Walter Neil said. “I love it. We’ve got the music out there. Everyone out there is celebrating after interceptions. It’s fun.”
There is only one goal at the moment for Klieman — improvement.
That’s why he asked Render to switch positions from receiver to safety and work with him one-on-one to see if he can help the Wildcats on defense. And that’s why he will change K-State’s spring game format on Saturday.
Instead of playing a full four quarters in front of fans this weekend, he will treat K-State supporters to a glorified practice and call it a spring showcase. There will be on-field interviews and fun interactions with fans. He hopes to end the day with a scrimmage, but might limit plays because of health concerns.
“We only have two active corners who are not in red jerseys, so we can’t have a full scrimmage,” Klieman said. “We only have a couple of active defensive ends that are not in a red jersey. K-State is not on the schedule for us next year, so we want to make sure that we get our work done. So, you’re going to see a practice.”
You might also see him coaching defensive backs like he’s fresh out of college. Right now, no job is too big or too small as long as it helps the Wildcats get better.
This story was originally published April 9, 2019 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Chris Klieman brings new energy, coaching style to K-State football practice."