Big 12 champ K-State inks Klieman through 2030

Last updated: 2023/05/15 at 7:20 PM

BigP Published May 15, 2023

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterMay 15, 2023, 02:00 PM ET
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After guiding Kansas State to its first Big 12 championship in a decade, coach Chris Klieman has agreed to a new eight-year contract through the 2030 season.

Klieman, who is 30-20 overall at the school, will earn an average salary of $5.5 million throughout the new term. After being hired in 2019, he signed a six-year contract that began at $2.2 million and increased by $200,000 each year of the deal.

Last season, Kansas State handed TCU its first loss of the season to win the Big 12 and recorded its first 10-win season since 2012. The Wildcats finished No. 14 in the final AP poll.

“Chris has done an unbelievable job building a program in four years that not only has won a Big 12 championship, but even more importantly, one that players have taken great pride in and helped sustain a championship culture,” athletic director Gene Taylor said in a prepared statement. “He is a tremendous fit for K-State and Manhattan, and we want to continue to ride the momentum that he and his staff have fostered. We are excited that Chris will be the leader of our football program for many years to come.”

Klieman, 55, came to Kansas State following five seasons as North Dakota State‘s coach, where he won four FCS national championships. He has gone 5-3 against AP top 10 teams while at Kansas State, including a team-record three last season. Kansas State had four players selected in last month’s NFL draft, including All-America selections in defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah and running back Deuce Vaughn.

“What we have been able to accomplish in our first four years here is due to the culture that our players and staff have been able to create,” Klieman said in a statement. “I am excited to continue to lead this football program and put a product on the field each year that can compete at the highest level. We have what we need here at K-State to consistently win at a high level – administrative support, unbelievable facilities and the best fans in the country – and my family and I are grateful to be a part of the Wildcat family.”