Kansas State University Athletics
Football
Criner, Cal
Cal Criner
- Title:
- Defensive GA
- Email:
- ccriner@kstatesports.com
Cal Criner is in his first season as a defensive graduate assistant at Kansas State in 2025 as he will help coach the linebackers.
Criner came to Manhattan after serving one season as the assistant secondary coach at Washington State, a year in which the Cougars accumulated an 8-5 record and earned a trip to the Holiday Bowl. WSU finished the 2024 season ranked 27th nationally with 14 interceptions.
Prior to WSU, Criner spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Boise State, culminating with a Mountain West Championship in 2023. While at Boise, he worked with current K-State offensive graduate assistant Will Farrar.
A two-time team captain at Eastern Washington during his playing days from 2016 through 2021, Criner recorded 273 career tackles – including eight for loss – nine interceptions and 20 pass breakups over his 54 career games, the latter of which ranked as the third most in school history. An All-Big Sky honoree as a senior, Criner left EWU ranking 15th in school history in career tackles and 11th in both interceptions and pass breakups.
Criner continued the legacy of wearing No. 4 for EWU as the coaching staff selected a leader on defense to wear the jersey, which symbolizes the defensive player who most embodies the characteristics of defense at Eastern – grit, toughness, effort, leadership and academic success.
Criner has football coaching bloodlines as his father, Mark, and grandfather, Jim, are long-time collegiate coaches. Mark spent time at Idaho, Portland State, Utah State, Minnesota, Eastern Michigan, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee State, Lamar, Colorado State Pueblo and Southern Miss, as well as stints with Seattle and Las Vegas in the XFL. Jim was the head coach at Boise State, guiding the Broncos to the 1980 FCS (then I-AA) title. After accumulating a 59-21-1 record at Boise State, Jim was later head coach at Iowa State (1983-86).
Criner came to Manhattan after serving one season as the assistant secondary coach at Washington State, a year in which the Cougars accumulated an 8-5 record and earned a trip to the Holiday Bowl. WSU finished the 2024 season ranked 27th nationally with 14 interceptions.
Prior to WSU, Criner spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Boise State, culminating with a Mountain West Championship in 2023. While at Boise, he worked with current K-State offensive graduate assistant Will Farrar.
A two-time team captain at Eastern Washington during his playing days from 2016 through 2021, Criner recorded 273 career tackles – including eight for loss – nine interceptions and 20 pass breakups over his 54 career games, the latter of which ranked as the third most in school history. An All-Big Sky honoree as a senior, Criner left EWU ranking 15th in school history in career tackles and 11th in both interceptions and pass breakups.
Criner continued the legacy of wearing No. 4 for EWU as the coaching staff selected a leader on defense to wear the jersey, which symbolizes the defensive player who most embodies the characteristics of defense at Eastern – grit, toughness, effort, leadership and academic success.
Criner has football coaching bloodlines as his father, Mark, and grandfather, Jim, are long-time collegiate coaches. Mark spent time at Idaho, Portland State, Utah State, Minnesota, Eastern Michigan, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee State, Lamar, Colorado State Pueblo and Southern Miss, as well as stints with Seattle and Las Vegas in the XFL. Jim was the head coach at Boise State, guiding the Broncos to the 1980 FCS (then I-AA) title. After accumulating a 59-21-1 record at Boise State, Jim was later head coach at Iowa State (1983-86).
K-State FB | Game Highlights vs Army
Saturday, September 06
K-State FB | Postgame Press Conference vs Army
Saturday, September 06
K-State Gameday | FB vs Army
Saturday, September 06
K-State FB | Pregame Hype vs Army
Friday, September 05
