Coaching the K-State QBs a ‘Tremendous Honor’ for Ellsworth

By: D. Scott Fritchen

He's taking photo after photo inside the white-walled studio on Monday morning, a parade of head shots in suit attire, in polo shirts and quarter-zips, the Kansas State football team photographer getting every possible angle just to be sure. In a way, the career of Christian Ellsworth, announced on December 21 as new quarterbacks coach under head coach Collin Klein, is like a photo album, with each stop along his journey telling a story of this 28-year-old's quest to one day work alongside his old quarterbacks coach at Northern Iowa.

Ellsworth comes to K-State after two seasons on staff at Texas A&M, including serving as tight ends coach in 2025, under Klein, the offensive coordinator for the Aggies.

Ellsworth became the youngest position coach in the SEC, and he is noted as a "rising star in this profession," according to Klein, and Ellsworth is deeply entrenched in K-State culture having served as an offensive graduate assistant under Chris Klieman in 2020 and 2021 and earning his Master's degree at K-State in 2022.

Ellsworth, a native of Grand Island, Nebraska, was a three-time all-state quarterback at Grand Island Northwest and left as the all-time leader in Nebraska history in career passing yards, career completions and career touchdowns. He first met Klein when Klein coached him at Northern Iowa in 2016.

Klein and Ellsworth were reunited when Klein, who had returned to K-State as quarterbacks coach, asked Ellsworth to serve as volunteer coach at K-State prior to the 2020 season. Ellsworth eventually became an offensive graduate assistant. Upon receiving his Master's degree, Ellsworth held positions on the staffs at South Carolina (2022), Nebraska (2023) and Texas A&M (2024) before he was elevated to tight ends coach in 2025.

Now Ellsworth, his wife, Cassidy, daughter, Ada, and son, Brooks, are embarking upon an exciting journey at K-State.

Ellsworth hasn't wasted any time. He recently flew to seven different states in a span of 48 hours to speak to current K-State players.

Things are moving plenty fast as Ellsworth and the rest of the newly hired K-State assistant coaches join Klein in the early stages of engineering Klein's vision for the program, but Ellsworth spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about his story, which in some ways is just getting good.

D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: It's been a little more than a week since Collin Klein announced your hiring as K-State quarterbacks coach. But take me back to that initial phone call from Collin. Where were you and what were you doing at the time that he called you that fateful day?

CHRISTIAN ELLSWORTH: It's obviously a tremendous honor to even be considered and have the opportunity to be here, to be able to come back to K-State, and to get to coach that position — a position that I know means a lot to Collin Klein. It's a position that has a rich tradition of success and history, so it's a tremendous honor. You know, I had a feeling I'd be coming with him. I coached the tight ends at Texas A&M, so when all this started happening, my wife and I had a pretty good feeling — we've gotten pretty close with the Kleins over the years — that we'd be coming to Manhattan. He had to go through the process of everything, so we were kind of a little unsure what the position was going to be, so we were just doing our daily business at Texas A&M and game planning for Miami in the playoffs. Ultimately, we were sitting there and got a call late at night, and he asked me if I wanted to be the quarterbacks coach. I took it and ran with it.

FRITCHEN: What is going on inside your head as you listen to Collin speak on the phone?

ELLSWORTH: He's the best leader I've ever been around, and he's a guy that cares for you as a person. I had the great opportunity to play for him, and he cares about you as a player. He just is able to grasp you with his words and in just the manner in which he speaks. You can just tell there's a genuine love and care for you as a person. I'll follow that man into battle anywhere, anytime, and he's certainly gotten my attention, as I know he'll have the attention of the entire program.

FRITCHEN: What was the first thing you did after you hung up the phone with Collin?

ELLSWORTH: I had to call my wife. We were leaving the facility at around 11:30 p.m. She was asleep. I knew if I called her twice, she'd probably answer. She was just so, so elated because we were here at K-State in 2020 and 2021 as a graduate assistant, and just the opportunity to come back and to come back in that role means the world to us.

FRITCHEN: What has your life been like over the past nine days since you were announced as quarterbacks coach?

ELLSWORTH: We had to finish our job at Texas A&M, and Coach Klein was able to come back and get into game-planning mode to try and beat Miami. That was really our focus for those days leading up to the game on December 20. After the game, it's been strictly phone calls and conversations and talking to our current roster, and then just getting ready to hit the ground running. This is not a rebuild. We're winning now. We got right to work December 21 after we lost to Miami. We were ready to go and get this ball rolling.

FRITCHEN: What are the conversations like with the prospective student-athletes coming in to play quarterback?

ELLSWORTH: First of all, you need winners. You can't play the position if you're not a winner. That leads to toughness. You have to be tough. We need you out there and you have to be durable and be able to withstand the pressures that happen on the field and also off the field. It's a tough position. You're a quarterback at Kansas State, there's a lot of people that are going to be pointing fingers at you, and a lot of people who are going to have their opinions. You have to be able to block out the noise and just do your job and do it every down to the best of your ability. Lastly, we want the right people. That position, in this program, has so much power and so much weight. We need the guys in there that are going to grasp the attention of their teammates, that their teammates are going to want to follow into battle, and we're talking to these guys, and it's really making sure they can check those three things off. As soon as they do, we at least know we have the right character, the right mindset of a kid coming in, and we know that gives us a good foundation to win a lot of football games.

FRITCHEN: Describe your first conversation with Avery Johnson. Was it in person? Was it a phone call? How did that conversation go?

ELLSWORTH: Actually, my first conversation with Avery was back when I was here as a graduate assistant. Avery and I have known each other for a little bit. I had the great privilege of being around him and his family when they would visit. I was away when he decided to commit here, but I certainly followed his career and the success that he's had. The first call we had this month was probably about 10 days ago or so, and shortly after I was announced as quarterback coach, and it was just excitement to be able to see each other again, and it was about the opportunity to work with each other. We have a special bond that we're going to continue to build on, as both of us have played at quarterback under Collin Klein, and both of us have the understanding of the type of men that he needs in that room to help lead the program. We're going to be able to relate on that. We talked about that. We talked about how this is not a rebuild and this is a "win now." A lot of times during change, people might assume that you're going to just try to get by.

We're not going to just try. We're going to win it all.

Avery wants to hear that, obviously. He's a competitor, he's one of the toughest guys that we're going to have running out there on Saturdays. For him to hear, "Hey, we're getting ready to go, and we're not messing around," meant a lot to him. I'm excited to work with him and to be around him, and I'll continue to push him to lead this team to success.

FRITCHEN: What are some of the most important things you learned about coaching as a K-State offensive graduate assistant?

ELLSWORTH: Great question. I certainly want to give the credit to coach Chris Klieman and being the first head coach I've worked for. I learned a ton about loving your players and truly being in it for the right reasons, which is to improve the lives of the young men you get to be around. That'd be the first thing. From an Xs and Os and day-to-day work life, it was about how hard you have to work to be successful, and also that you can work just as hard and not be successful. It's part of the job. It's finding those little details. Over those two years at K-State and in the four years since then that I've been at some other spots, it's understanding that when you break it all down, and everybody in the country is pushing long hours and doing things that are hard, it's the details, and it's mastering the details and the communication and making sure that every single person in the program is pulling in the right direction. I felt that way when we were here in 2020 and 2021. I'm certainly excited because this program, university and community is hungry for success at the top. Everything that's helped us learn over the past couple years is leading us to come back at the appropriate time to get this ship rolling again.

FRITCHEN: Collin was a Heisman Trophy finalist as a quarterback, he coached quarterbacks at K-State, served as offensive coordinator, helped develop several outstanding K-State quarterbacks, and then he helped develop quarterback Marcel Reed at Texas A&M. For years, being a quarterback or coaching quarterbacks has been big business for Collin. Can you describe the sense of responsibility that you feel in coaching a position so dear to Collin's heart?

ELLSWORTH: It's a tremendous honor. Obviously, there's a great responsibility to make sure you're doing it right. I know how much that position means to him and how much specifically the quarterback position at Kansas State means to him. He knows that he's going to get my best. The beauty of it is Coach Klein and I — I have been very fortunate to be with him at three different institutions for a total of five years now, going into six years, of my college football life. The amount of times we've had conversations about quarterback play and just the understanding that I was able to get by being under him is going to really pay dividends for us to continue to have the working relationship. He's going to have a say and he's going to be involved because that's his position and it's what he loves and cares about, so we're going to welcome it. There's no greater honor to me than being the quarterback coach here and having him still to learn from and still pick up things as I'm going. I know it's going to be awesome. We're going to work together and make sure these quarterbacks are the best in the country.

FRITCHEN: From K-State, you served as an offensive graduate assistant at South Carolina in 2022, then as an offensive analyst at Nebraska in 2023, then you joined Texas A&M first as a senior offensive analyst in 2024 and as tight ends coach in 2025. In what ways have each of those past experiences best prepared you for this role at K-State?

ELLSWORTH: Every experience has been at the perfect time in my life and in my coaching career and my wife and kids' lives. We went to South Carolina, and I got the opportunity at a different speed and level and in a different footprint in the country. The game is sometimes a little bit different in the SEC because it is played a little bit more on the outside, so it was good for me to see. There were a lot of different coverage variations and structures that really impacted my growth. We also had our first child, Ada, out in South Carolina. There was a lot of learning there being a first-time dad and managing the football schedule that we had. So, there was a lot of learning there.

Then we went to Nebraska, and I'm from Nebraska, so that was a return home for me. There was a ton of growth there with Coach Matt Rhule. The biggest thing from Coach Rhule was how creative he can be in what he's doing with his day to day. He always talked about an old poem that basically talks about a blue vase. Basically, he'd walk through the facility and say, "Blue Vase Mentality," which meant whatever you had to do to get the job done, however you had to find a way to do it, let's get it done. I learned a lot from him.

The opportunity to go to Texas A&M was awesome. I was the youngest position coach in the SEC the last two years. Being thrown into the fire like that makes you grow up fast. There are some ins and outs of the job that you don't realize when you're a GA and an analyst, and you get thrown in that position coach role, and now all the weight is on you. Every-down success from the tight ends at Texas A&M was a reflection of me and my leadership. The ability to understand and be able to take the pressure of being a position coach was something I had to learn really fast at Texas A&M, and I'm so grateful I did. We had a lot of success, and I was very fortunate to coach a lot of good players who helped me grow in that process.

FRITCHEN: You're 28 years old. You can relate to student-athletes today. What kind of inherent advantage does that give you and what's the biggest challenge?

ELLSWORTH: There are a lot of coaches out there in recruiting that use my age as a negative against me. I run right at it. The reason I run right at it is because I can relate at a different level. I'm a football coach, so I don't have a ton of time to be tied up in pop culture, so it's not like I know all their favorite musical artists or video games, but there's a commonality of growing up in a similar time frame that helps. I was a part of the social media generation, so I have the understanding and know how to relate to a guy and help him manage the pressure that can happen through social media, or just provide wisdom, or perhaps not being on it, or when to be on it. My whole coaching career has been a part of the NIL side of things. Maybe I can help players with money questions that I've learned. The opportunity as I'm learning through life, I'm learning alongside of them. That allows us to have a lot of great conversations and break some walls down and allows me and them to connect at a different level. I do think it's an advantage that I have in recruiting and in coaching in general.

FRITCHEN: How would you best describe your leadership style?

ELLSWORTH: Leadership comes in many ways. There's different times and different reasons for different styles. That's part of how I've been able to grow as a coach. There are times to be rah-rah and get the guys motivated that's what I'll do. Sometimes, it's just running alongside. One of the things I did at every single practice at Texas A&M — I didn't have to say anything, but if a play was happening 35-40 yards downfield, I was taking off and running alongside them, telling them to finish the play or finish the rep. It shows your coach is willing to be in the fight with you and also, it's a pull from the front instead of push from the back type of leadership. Lastly, sometimes leadership isn't saying anything at all, and it's just listening. Whether it's Avery or any other quarterback who comes into my office, there's going to be a lot of time for me to listen, and I can lead from listening by being able to have a sound judgement of what they need a situation and be able to guide and push. At the end of the day, it's caring for the guys, loving the guys, and knowing when the right opportunity is to push, pull or just listen.

FRITCHEN: When you hear the words "Kansas State football" what's the first thing that comes to mind?

ELLSWORTH: Tradition, Collin Klein, Bill Snyder. There's probably going to be a lot of people who question putting Coach Klein in front of Coach Snyder on that one, but no, it's a beautiful place, and full of a ton of people who care for this institution. I love driving into Manhattan and counting all the Powercats you see. Everyone here absolutely loves Kansas State football. I'm an alum and got my Master's degree here in 2022. It means a lot to my family and I. I'm beyond excited and humbled to be the quarterbacks coach here.

FRITCHEN: What will be going through your mind when K-State coaches and players trot out onto the field for the first time at Bill Snyder Family Stadium prior to the 2026 season opener?

ELLSWORTH: I get goosebumps thinking about it because the energy we have right now as a staff, the momentum that we're building with our roster, the work we're going to put in over this winter and spring and summer, that's going to be a celebration of all the trials and hardships we're about to go through. From a personal side, I'm going to get out there really early because I cannot wait, I want to be in place and settle myself because I cannot wait to watch Coach Klein walk down that tunnel. It makes me emotional talking about it because I know how much it's going to mean to him. We've sat there and have dreamed about that day for a long time. When that happens, it's going to be special watching it take place. I'm going to be filled with so much pride and joy for Coach Klein.

FRITCHEN: From growing up in Grand Island, Nebraska to where you are today, what have you learned most about yourself during your journey?

ELLSWORTH: I've learned that I am a go-getter and that's said with humbleness, and it's taken a lot of people that have poured into me to put me into the right situations. Out of high school, I didn't have many opportunities to go play college football and took the one that ended up happening, and because of the Lord's guidance, I ended up being coached by Collin Klein and a couple other tremendous men. I didn't have an opportunity to coach after I was done at Northern Iowa, and Collin gives me a call in March and asked if I was willing to volunteer down here. So, I volunteered a couple months before a GA job opened up. I didn't know anybody at South Carolina, then I go to Nebraska and was still battling my way up the coaching ladder. At 26 years old, I got the opportunity to take over as a position coach in the SEC. All those things leading up to just the understanding of it's taken so many people to help me, but we're going to find a way and get the job done. The reason I say "we" is because my wife deserves as much credit as I do — more — because of her role in raising our two kids and just helping us push toward this dream. Being a go-getter is not just an individual effort. It's taken everybody who's been able to pour into me.

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Coaching the K-State QBs a ‘Tremendous Honor’ for Ellsworth

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