Collin Klein’s contract with K-State football includes many lucrative bonuses
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State agreed to a five-year deal worth $21.5 million, about $16.1 million guaranteed.
- Contract awards performance bonuses, plus two automatic one-year salary extensions.
- Klein faces a declining buyout schedule; K-State must pay 75% of remaining salary.
Kansas State head football coach Collin Klein has agreed to a contract that will pay him at least $21.5 million over the next five years.
But he could earn much more.
Klein’s contract, which includes an average base salary of $4.3 million per year, is big on bonuses.
Here is the most notable one of all: Klein can twice trigger an automatic one-year extension by guiding the Wildcats to six wins and then playing in a bowl game. The first time that happens, Klein’s salary will increase to $4.6 million during the 2031 season. The second time it happens, his salary will jump to $4.7 million in 2032.
That bonus is capped at two.
Former K-State coach Chris Klieman had a similar clause in his contract, but it was triggered after winning eight games in a season and the salary for his first extension year was set to be $6.5 million. Klieman’s salary was $5.25 million this year.
Details of Collin Klein’s salary & bonuses
Klein’s starting salary for the 2026 season will be $4.1 million. That number will increase by $100,000 every year he remains on the job until it reaches $4.5 million in 2030.
He can also earn a wide variety of other performance-based bonuses.
For playoffs and bowls ...
- $1 million for winning a national championship
- $600,000 for reaching the semifinals of the College Football Playoff
- $400,000 for reaching the quarterfinals of the CFP
- $200,000 for making the CFP
- $50,000 for playing in any bowl game
For Big 12 finishes ...
- $250,000 for finishing in first place (solo or tied) in the Big 12 standings
- $100,000 for finishing in second place
For a conference championship ...
- $200,000 for winning the Big 12 championship game
For coaching awards ...
- $50,000 for winning a national Coach of the Year award
- $25,000 for winning Big 12 Coach of the Year
For finishing the season ranked ...
- $50,000 for a top 10 finish in the final AP or CFP rankings
- $25,000 for a top 25 finish
Klein is only eligible for one bonus in each category per season. In other words, K-State will only pay him for his best achievements, not every single one along the way. The highest bonus amount he can earn in any given season is $1.55 million.
The former K-State quarterback will also receive $20,000 in moving expenses, a yearly vehicle fee of $15,000, a family membership to Manhattan Country Club, golfing privileges at Colbert Hills, the use of a suite at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and up to 20 hours of private airplane use per year.
Buyout numbers in Collin Klein’s contract
If Klein chooses to terminate his contact early, or agrees to take another job at any point over the next five years, he will owe K-State as much as $5 million or as little as nothing depending on timing.
If he terminates his contract before Dec. 31 in 2026, he will owe K-State $5 million. But that number declines by $1 million per year until it reaches zero after Dec. 2, 2030.
If K-State chooses to terminate Klein without cause, it will owe him 75% of his remaining average base salary. That means 75% of his contract, or approximately $16.1 million, is guaranteed. But his buyout would be offset by any income he earns at his next job.
How Klein’s salary compares to other Big 12 coaches
As a first-time head coach, Klein’s salary is on the low end compared to his peers in the Big 12.
He is also making less than Klieman was at the end of his seventh season with the Wildcats.
But K-State is paying Klein more than a pair of other new hires in the Big 12. Jimmy Rogers will reportedly earn a starting salary of $3 million at Iowa State and Eric Morris is set to earn $3.8 million per year at Oklahoma State.
Deion Sanders is the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 with a salary of $8.9 million, according to the USA Today database of college coaching salaries.
Klein’s salary currently ranks 10th among coaches in the Big 12.
K-State hired Klein last week after the unexpected retirement of Klieman. Klein is currently splitting his time between K-State and Texas A&M, where he is finishing out the season as offensive coordinator while the Aggies prepare for the CFP.
The former K-State quarterback is now under contract as the head coach at his alma mater.
This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 10:14 AM.