Chris Klieman decided to retire from K-State over the span of ‘a crazy 48 hours’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Klieman retired after a 'crazy 48 hours' decision, citing family and health.
- He leaves K-State with a 54-34 record, six bowl seasons and a Big 12 title.
- Athletic director Taylor will oversee transition toward former QB Collin Klein.
Chris Klieman didn’t shed any tears during his retirement news conference on Wednesday.
Instead, the Kansas State football coach waved to a large group of his peers from across campus who showed up to support him. Then he told the crowd that he was going out on his terms.
“I am,” he said, “at peace.”
Klieman, 58, decided to hang up his headset after seven years with the Wildcats. He guided K-State football to a record of 54-34, with six bowl-eligible seasons and one Big 12 championship along the way.
He could have kept coaching for the foreseeable future. He was under contract until 2032 and making $5.25 million per year. But this season, which yielded a 6-6 record and several frustrating losses, was difficult for him. Citing a “culmination of many factors” and his “own personal health” he opted for retirement, which is expected to clear the way for former K-State quarterback Collin Klein to take over as head coach.
A hectic 48 hours led to this moment.
K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said he sat down with Klieman on Monday for what he expected to be a normal meeting about topics such as the Wildcats’ upcoming bowl appearance, recruiting and the possibility of staff changes.
But Klieman had other plans. He wanted to talk about retirement.
“He said, ‘I have got something that I have got to get off my chest,’” Taylor said. “And that’s where we went. It’s been a crazy 48 hours since.”
Klieman and Taylor walked away from their meeting on Monday without a definitive plan. Sure, they talked about Klieman stepping away from his job. But he needed more time to talk about the possibility with his family. He also wanted to pray about the decision.
Retirement was still up in the air on Tuesday. But on Wednesday, Klieman had a message for his boss: “I’m ready.”
Taylor said he tried to talk Klieman into staying.
“I did,” Taylor said. “But then he talked about his family and his health. Once he said that I just stopped in my tracks and I said, ‘You know what? This is your decision, and I’m not going to try to talk you out of something that you feel is that important for you and your family.’”
Klieman’s decision made for an awkward day, as K-State signed a new batch of recruits in the morning and then had to inform them in the afternoon that they would be playing for a new coach next season.
He informed his coaching staff late in the morning that he planned to retire. Then he held a meeting with players at 2 p.m. The room was so quiet that Klieman joked about it not being a funeral.
K-State hired Klieman in 2018 when he was winning FCS national titles at North Dakota State. Taylor had a history with him and the Bison. He thought Klieman’s coaching style would translate well to the Big 12. He was right.
Even though his tenure produced some low moments for the Wildcats, Klieman also led K-State to some memorable highs, such as three wins over Oklahoma and seven straight victories over rival Kansas.
He will leave K-State with the second-most wins in program history, behind only Bill Snyder.
Taylor thinks his friend will leave behind a strong legacy in Manhattan.
“He’s done it with class and dignity and he has won,” Taylor said. “A lot of people didn’t think that FCS guy could do it, so he should be very proud of that.”
Still, Taylor could tell this season was hard on Klieman, who didn’t take any questions on Wednesday.
That was most evident after K-State suffered a 51-47 loss at Utah and Klieman got emotional while defending himself and his team afterward. At one point, Taylor got up and hugged Klieman in the middle of his news conference to show his support.
“It was pretty trying,” Taylor said. “You saw him after the Utah game. I think that was when I first, actually it was my daughter, who asked if I was concerned about Coach Klieman? At that time, I wasn’t. I figured it was just the emotion of that game. He wanted to win that game so badly. How it ended really frustrated him and the team.”
Taylor remembers thinking at that moment that maybe, just maybe, retirement was an option for his head coach.
“He was probably thinking about it a little bit,” Taylor said.
That led Taylor to say he has also thought about his own retirement. But now is not the right time for him. He wants to help lead K-State football into a new era — even if it was difficult for him to say goodbye to Klieman.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 6:51 PM.