Kansas State University Athletics
Football
Collin Klein
- Title:
- Head Coach
One of the greatest players in school history has returned to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein was named the 36th head football coach in school history on December 4, 2025.
Klein, who at 36 years of age is the fifth-youngest head coach in the FBS, will be in his 13th year of coaching in 2026 with 10 of those seasons coming at K-State.
The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77, Klein was on the K-State staff as quarterbacks coach from 2017 through 2021, while he served as K-State’s offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023. He helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach, while he was part of a staff that led Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and the 2022 Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.
His first full season as offensive coordinator was a success as he guided an offense that helped the Wildcats win the 2022 Big 12 title and the 10th season with 10 or more wins. In the process, Klein’s unit ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).
The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game). Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.
Klein directed an offense in 2022 that hit those marks despite starting two different quarterbacks throughout the season in Adrian Martinez and Will Howard. The duo helped K-State set the school record for lowest interception percentage (1.54%), rank fourth in completions (242), sixth in passing yards (2,947) and seventh in passing touchdowns (21). Martinez set the school record for lowest interception percentage by a player in school history (0.54%), while Howard had the seventh-best season passing efficiency ever by a Wildcat (149.6).
With Klein at the controls, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while offensive lineman Cooper Beebe also earned First Team All-America accolades. The pair were two of eight Wildcat offensive players that earned All-Big 12 honors. Klein guided Martinez to honorable mention accolades, while he also picked up votes for the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year award.
In 2023, Klein guided K-State to No. 11 rankings in rushing offense (208.3 yards per game), first downs (23.8 per game) and third down conversions (47.9%), while the Wildcats ranked 14th in the country turnovers lost (12) and 21st in time of possession (31:52).
Klein helped close out the career of Howard, who set the school’s career record for touchdown passes (48), while he ranked fourth in career completions (458), fifth in passing yards (5,786), attempts (779) and total offense per game (197.3), sixth in passing yards per game (170.2) and seventh in passing efficiency (135.1). In 2023, Howard ranked seventh nationally in points responsible for per game (17.50), while he finished fourth in school history in single-season completions (219), sixth in passing yards (2,643) and seventh in attempts (357).
During his final season as K-State’s offensive coordinator, Klein helped Beebe become the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America accolades, while tight end Ben Sinnott was also named an All-American. The offense combined for 13 All-Big 12 honors, including second-team accolades by Howard, who also picked up votes for the Big 12 Offensive Player of Year award.
Throughout his time coaching the K-State quarterbacks, low interceptions were a reoccurring theme. During those seven seasons, K-State only threw 53 picks (7.57 per season and 0.60 per game) to tie for seventh among Power 5 programs.
Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M in 2024 and 2025, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this year and a berth into the College Football Playoff. This season, the Aggies rank in the top 35 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272). Texas A&M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.
A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).
In his first season at Texas A&M in 2024, Klein the Aggies earn a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program’s best start in SEC action and their best conference start since 1998. Texas A&M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.
Klein earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015. He came back to Manhattan to serve as the quarterbacks coach in 2017 through 2021, which included the title of co-offensive coordinator in 2018.
The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State playing career ranking in the school’s top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.
Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.
He obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master’s degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.
The Klein File
Klein, who at 36 years of age is the fifth-youngest head coach in the FBS, will be in his 13th year of coaching in 2026 with 10 of those seasons coming at K-State.
The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77, Klein was on the K-State staff as quarterbacks coach from 2017 through 2021, while he served as K-State’s offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023. He helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach, while he was part of a staff that led Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and the 2022 Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.
His first full season as offensive coordinator was a success as he guided an offense that helped the Wildcats win the 2022 Big 12 title and the 10th season with 10 or more wins. In the process, Klein’s unit ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).
The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game). Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.
Klein directed an offense in 2022 that hit those marks despite starting two different quarterbacks throughout the season in Adrian Martinez and Will Howard. The duo helped K-State set the school record for lowest interception percentage (1.54%), rank fourth in completions (242), sixth in passing yards (2,947) and seventh in passing touchdowns (21). Martinez set the school record for lowest interception percentage by a player in school history (0.54%), while Howard had the seventh-best season passing efficiency ever by a Wildcat (149.6).
With Klein at the controls, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while offensive lineman Cooper Beebe also earned First Team All-America accolades. The pair were two of eight Wildcat offensive players that earned All-Big 12 honors. Klein guided Martinez to honorable mention accolades, while he also picked up votes for the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year award.
In 2023, Klein guided K-State to No. 11 rankings in rushing offense (208.3 yards per game), first downs (23.8 per game) and third down conversions (47.9%), while the Wildcats ranked 14th in the country turnovers lost (12) and 21st in time of possession (31:52).
Klein helped close out the career of Howard, who set the school’s career record for touchdown passes (48), while he ranked fourth in career completions (458), fifth in passing yards (5,786), attempts (779) and total offense per game (197.3), sixth in passing yards per game (170.2) and seventh in passing efficiency (135.1). In 2023, Howard ranked seventh nationally in points responsible for per game (17.50), while he finished fourth in school history in single-season completions (219), sixth in passing yards (2,643) and seventh in attempts (357).
During his final season as K-State’s offensive coordinator, Klein helped Beebe become the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America accolades, while tight end Ben Sinnott was also named an All-American. The offense combined for 13 All-Big 12 honors, including second-team accolades by Howard, who also picked up votes for the Big 12 Offensive Player of Year award.
Throughout his time coaching the K-State quarterbacks, low interceptions were a reoccurring theme. During those seven seasons, K-State only threw 53 picks (7.57 per season and 0.60 per game) to tie for seventh among Power 5 programs.
Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M in 2024 and 2025, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this year and a berth into the College Football Playoff. This season, the Aggies rank in the top 35 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272). Texas A&M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.
A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).
In his first season at Texas A&M in 2024, Klein the Aggies earn a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program’s best start in SEC action and their best conference start since 1998. Texas A&M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.
Klein earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015. He came back to Manhattan to serve as the quarterbacks coach in 2017 through 2021, which included the title of co-offensive coordinator in 2018.
The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State playing career ranking in the school’s top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.
Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.
He obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master’s degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.
The Klein File
| PERSONAL INFORMATION |
|---|
| Year in Coaching: 13th in 2026 |
| Year as Head Coach: First in 2026 |
| Year at K-State: 10th in 2026 |
| Hometown: Loveland, Colorado |
| High School: Loveland |
| Spouse: Shalin |
| Children: Beric, Rhett, Trek, Briar |
| EDUCATION |
|---|
| Kansas State (2011) Bachelor's in Business Financial Services and Controllership |
| Kansas State (2019) Master's in Academic Advising |
| PLAYING EXPERIENCE |
|---|
| Kansas State - Quarterback (2008-12) |
| PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE |
|---|
| 2014, Kansas State (Asst. Director of Recruiting/Defensive Quality Control) |
| 2015, Kansas State (Offensive Graduate Assistant) |
| 2016, Northern Iowa (Quarterback) |
| 2017, Kansas State (Quarterbacks) |
| 2018, Kansas State (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback) |
| 2019-21, Kansas State (Quarterbacks) |
| 2022-23, Kansas State (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks) |
| 2024-25, Texas A&M (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks) |
| 2026, Kansas State (Head Coach) |
K-State FB | Welcome back Collin Klein
Monday, December 08
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Radio Interview
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Official Introductory Event
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Thank You Coach Klieman
Wednesday, December 03
