Chris Klieman says he won’t leave Kansas State Wildcats for open Michigan State job
It makes sense that some national experts have mentioned Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman as a potential candidate for the open job at Michigan State.
He has won 33 games during his five seasons in Manhattan, and he led the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship last season. Before that, he won four FCS championships at North Dakota State.
The Spartans want a proven winner to replace Mel Tucker, who was recently fired for cause, and Klieman fits the bill.
But K-State fans don’t need to worry about Klieman leaving for the Big Ten anytime soon. Klieman was asked about the job opening while appearing on Sirius XM Big 12 Radio on Wednesday and he repsonded with a flat-out denial.
“I’ll be sticking in Manhattan and will not be a candidate for that job,” Klieman said on the show.
Those words shouldn’t come as a surprise. Over the summer, Klieman told reporters that he planned to retire at K-State after he signed a lucrative new contract with the school.
The Wildcats rewarded Klieman for his sensational 2022 season with a new contract that boosted his average salary to $5.5 million over the next eight seasons. His new deal runs through 2030.
Klieman’s new contract also comes with several bonuses that could push his yearly earnings even higher.
In the event Klieman looked to leave K-State for another job this year, he would owe the Wildcats a buyout of $6 million.
But it seems like that won’t be necessary at the moment.