K-State’s Klieman won’t pursue Michigan St. job

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterSep 27, 2023, 06:18 PM ET
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- College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
- Graduate of Northwestern University.

Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman said he won’t pursue the Michigan State coaching job, now officially open after the school fired Mel Tucker for cause Wednesday.

Klieman told Sirius XM’s “Big 12 Today” that he will “be sticking in Manhattan [Kansas] and will not be a candidate for that job.” His name had surfaced as a potential candidate after he led Kansas State to a Big 12 championship in 2022.

In May, Klieman signed an eight-year, $44 million contract through the 2030 season that will pay him an average of $5.5 million per year. He’s 33-21 in four-plus seasons at Kansas State after leading North Dakota State to five FCS national championships in six seasons.

Klieman, who turned 56 on Wednesday, is 105-34 overall as a college coach. Kansas State has an open week before resuming play Oct. 6 at Oklahoma State.