Kansas State finalizes two-year contracts for Collin Klein’s assistant coaches

Kansas State will pay its football coaches at least $9 million in salary next season as the Collin Klein era begins in Manhattan.

The Wildcats have finalized contracts with Klein and 10 of his assistant coaches.

The contracts, which were obtained via an open-records request, will last two years for each K-State assistant coach. Klein previously agreed to a five-year deal worth at least $21.5 million. His initial base salary of $4.1 million will rank 10th among all Big 12 head coaches.

Here is how much base salary K-State has committed to Klein and his inaugural football staff with the Wildcats:

• Collin Klein (head coach): $4.1 million
• Jordan Peterson (defensive coordinator): $900,000
• Thad Ward (wide receivers): $525,000
• Mike Schmidt (offensive line): $500,000
• Brian Lepak (tight ends): $480,000
• Buddy Wyatt (defensive line): $400,000
• Nick Toth (linebackers): $375,000
• Marcus Woodson (cornerbacks): $350,000 in Year 1 and $450,000 in Year 2
• Christian Ellsworth (quarterback): $350,000
• Jeremy Jacobs (strength and conditioning): $350,000
• Cory Patterson (running backs): $250,000 in Year 1 and $375,000 in Year 2
• Jeremiah Johnson (defensive backs): $250,000 in Year 1 and $350,000 in Year 2
• Stanton Weber (special teams): $250,000

Those numbers add up to nearly $9.1 million, for now.

Klein still has an opening to fill at offensive coordinator.

If Klein pays both of his coordinators the same amount ($900,000), then K-State’s salary pool for coaches will be in the neighborhood of $10 million.

That is the same overall salary range that K-State deployed under Klieman, who was set to earn $5.25 million next season before he surprisingly retired. His assistants were collectively earning a tad under $5 million.

Although he isn’t a traditional coach, it is also worth mentioning that K-State general manager Trey Scott has a salary of $525,000.

K-State’s assistant coach contracts are all two-year deals that are set to expire on Feb. 28, 2028. As noted above, some of the coaches will be paid the same in each year. Others will receive a raise in Year 2.

Every assistant can earn performance-enhanced bonuses. Those bonuses range from $15,000 for winning six games and playing in a bowl to $80,000 for winning a national championship.

Assistant coaches can earn an additional $15,000 if K-State finishes ranked in the top 10 of the final AP or CFP polls and an extra $20,000 for a top 5 finish.

Fringe benefits include a vehicle stipend of $8,000 per year, $15,000 in moving expenses, golfing privileges at Colbert Hills and tickets to K-State sporting events.

Any coach who wishes to terminate his contract early must provide K-State with written notice and pay two months’ salary as a buyout, unless he leaves to become a head coach or earns a job in the NFL. Under those circumstances, there is no buyout.

If K-State chooses to terminate an assistant coach without cause, it will owe that coach one year’s worth of base salary or the remaining salary on his contract, whichever number is less.

This story was originally published January 8, 2026 at 1:14 PM.

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.