Former Kansas State Football Coach Chris Klieman Gave Stunning Reasons He Retired In Interview

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When erstwhile Kansas State coach Chris Klieman announced his status connected Dec. 3, nan determination was astonishing coming from a 58-year-old who spent his life progressive successful shot and seemed to person plentifulness much to give.

Turns out, nan unexpected determination had deeper roots pinch heartfelt feelings and imaginable wellness ramifications. College football’s caller world bid had taken its toll connected nan coach. The fickleness of nan transportation portal and players’ compensation are among nan reasons Klieman told nan Manhattan Mercury — on pinch wellness issues — why he stepped distant from nan game.

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I’d dice if I kept doing this job,” Klieman told nan Manhattan Mercury.

“If I kept doing this job, I was gonna person a bosom onslaught aliases I was gonna person a stroke. My humor unit was done nan roof.

“The accent and anxiety, not of winning and losing. My bequest is going to beryllium good connected winning and losing.

“That was wherever I was benignant of astatine my wit’s end. I don’t blasted immoderate of these kids. It’s not their fault, but you get done playing Colorado, and travel Monday, there’s 20 [players’ agents] that want to cognize a number, aliases they’re fresh to spell into nan portal.”

College football’s upheaval

For a athletics pinch goalposts, assemblage shot seems to move theirs frequently. There are caller rules and standards. There are perceptions and now location are attempts to situation nan rules.

Recently, 2 quarterbacks who signed deals to enactment astatine their existent schoolhouse still sought to transfer. More changes apt are going to beryllium nan caller norm.

With nan transportation portal, rosters not only are tweaked, but successful immoderate cases are revamped.

“That’s each I’m going to do nan full period of December and January, is activity pinch immoderate 80 of our kids to spot if we tin support them, and if not, spell activity pinch 580 kids to capable nan 30 spots we’re going to need, and that’s each December and January,” Klieman told nan Mercury.

“That’s not recruiting. That’s conscionable uncovering ways to make deals … You’re conscionable putting compensation packages together. And erstwhile again, that’s not me.

“That’s nan measurement assemblage shot is, and I’m OK pinch that, but I don’t person to beryllium a portion of it if that’s nan measurement it’s going down. And that’s why, alternatively than maine conscionable sitting location and milking it for whatever, 7 much years connected my contract, I was like, I can’t do this.”

Signs were there

When Klieman retired, he gave a wide denotation for his reasoning without nan extent he later provided to nan Mercury. Klieman arrived astatine Kansas State earlier nan 2019 play aft winning 4 FCS nationalist titles astatine North Dakota State successful 5 years from 2014-18.

“This determination was not taken lightly and was nan culmination of galore factors, including my ain individual health,” Klieman said astatine his retirement news conference successful December.

“I perfectly emotion coaching nan crippled of shot and processing players into young men, but now is nan clip for maine to measurement distant and walk much clip pinch Rhonda and our 3 kids.

“I genuinely americium thankful to [athletic director] Gene Taylor for trusting maine pinch this programme successful 2018, and we person accomplished galore awesome things including winning nan 2022 Big 12 championship.

“K-State will ever beryllium a typical portion of our family’s story, and we will everlastingly beryllium Wildcats.”

Klieman’s legacy

Klieman coached K-State for 7 seasons. He had a 54-34 grounds (.614 winning percentage). The Wildcats were vessel eligible successful six of his seasons. Former Wildcats backmost Collin Klein was hired to switch Klieman.

According to nan K-State Athletics website: The Wildcats’ 54 wins during Klieman’s seven-year tenure are nan astir among progressive Big 12 programs. K-State’s six full vessel appearances are tied for nan astir successful nan conference, while nan Wildcats are 1 of 2 Big 12 programs to beforehand to nan postseason each of nan past 5 seasons. Additionally, Klieman kept nan Governor’s Cup successful Manhattan for seven-straight years and extended K-State's winning streak complete in-state rival Kansas to 17-consecutive seasons.

A heads up from Klieman?

When Kansas State mislaid to Utah, 51-47, connected Nov. 22, Klieman was successful tears during his postgame news conference. He teared up aggregate times during his little opening connection to nan media.

He didn’t return questions from nan media, thing he usually will do.

Something Klieman said mightiness person been a model into what he was reasoning then, pinch 1 crippled remaining successful nan regular season.

“I’ve heard [critics say] I’ve cashed it in, I’ve heard nan players person cashed it in, we request to get caller activity here, we request to get caller players, caller coaches. I’m tired of it. I gotta beryllium honorable pinch you, I’m tired of it,” Klieman said.

“I’ve fixed my friggin’ ... life to this spot for 7 years. I’ve given everything for 7 years and I deliberation I merit a small spot of respect. I’m disappointment for illustration everybody other is, but I emotion those kids and I’ll spell friggin’ conflict pinch those kids immoderate day.”