What K-State football coach Chris Klieman said about potential interest from Nebraska
Is Chris Klieman a potential candidate to replace Scott Frost as the next football coach at Nebraska?
Depending on where you go on the Internet for college football gossip, many seem to think the answer is yes.
Several media outlets, including ESPN, have already mentioned Klieman and KU head man Lance Leipold as coaches whom the Huskers might consider in the months ahead. Frost was fired over the weekend following a shocking home loss to Georgia Southern.
Klieman, who has the Wildcats off to a 2-0 start in his fourth season in Manhattan, addressed those rumors at his weekly news conference on Tuesday.
“I really like it here at Kansas State,” Klieman said. “I love our players, love our guys.”
He did not sound like a coach who was looking to leave for another job, especially when it would mean working for a different athletic director than Gene Taylor.
“I can just say one name and that’s Gene Taylor,” Klieman said. “Gene is my guy.”
K-State hired Klieman to replace former coach Bill Snyder in 2018. He has guided the Wildcats to a pair of bowl games and an overall record of 22-16 since he arrived on campus.
The Wildcats have already rewarded him with one contract extension that runs through 2026. He is currently making a salary of $3.5 million. That number will increase to $4 million next season and then $4.3 million for the final three years of his deal.
According to a copy of his contract, Klieman can automatically extend his deal by one year every time the Wildcats win eight games and play in a bowl between now and 2023.
Klieman will also receive a pair of retention bonuses worth $200,000 and $250,000 if he remains the coach at K-State in March 2022 and March 2023.
Should another school show interest in Klieman, his buyout is currently $4 million.
For now, though, he doesn’t seem to have interest in the Nebraska opening.
“Scott Frost is a friend of mine,” Klieman said. “I hate to see it, because that is part of the profession.”
