Three and out: Klieman plans to finish career at Kansas State
KLIEMAN PLANS TO FINISH CAREER AT KANSAS STATE
Not long ago, we played a “fact or fiction” game on if head coach Chris Klieman would finish his career at Kansas State. It was relevant after he signed an eight-year extension with the Wildcats that was worth $44 million.
That is equal to a yearly average of $5.5 million and exceeded the amount that Kansas gave Lance Leipold in the offseason.
My answer was fact. I anticipate that Klieman will stick with K-State throughout the remainder of his career. That includes if the Iowa job opens up in a year. If Gene Taylor were to be their new athletic director in Iowa City, my mind would change. However, it will likely be Beth Goetz.
Klieman answered the question himself when he recently spoke at a Catbacker event. When asked about his contract extension by Glenn Kinley of KSNT, he pointed out that he intends to remain in Manhattan for the remainder of his career and retire at Kansas State.
COLORADO/PAC-12 RUMORS
Will K-State once again be conference members with Colorado? Don’t rule it out. In a recent interview, athletic director Rick George was asked about the shelf life of the Buffaloes in the Pac-12 and his answer was far from a commitment to the west coast league.
George shared that they love being in the Pac-12 and hoped to remain in the conference, but that Colorado had to do what is best for Colorado at the end of the day. That is a great departure from what we had been hearing from George and other Pac-12 athletic directors the past year.
Though there has been chatter about UConn and Gonzaga as well, and Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is very insistent on leaning into the idea of being the premiere basketball conference, I’m more inclined to believe the noise about Colorado.
In fact, the rumors about the Buffaloes are picking up steam and even being spread by those that are typically plugged in, too.
K-STATE BOWL PROJECTION
In addition to the above tweet, Action Network’s Brett McMurphy also stays on top of the bowl game shuffle and provides his updated projections throughout the year, even in the offseason. It was this time last year when he was already picking Kansas State to win the Big 12 and to advance to the Sugar Bowl.
He was correct. However, he does not expect the Wildcats to repeat. McMurphy has Texas Tech winning the conference and advancing to the Cotton Bowl. That wouldn’t be completely shocking, but I wouldn’t predict it.
For K-State, his initial postseason picture included the Wildcats playing against North Carolina in the Cheez-It Bowl. That wouldn’t be so bad, though Kansas State and its fans clearly have higher aspirations in 2023.
What was once the Camping World Bowl in Orlando is a game that has not chosen K-State, yet, and the Tar Heels would be a different opponent. It could have a few years ago but instead decided to take Iowa State. Additionally, soon after those projections were released, McMurphy announced that the sponsor had changed.
It is now the Pop Tarts Bowl in Florida.
The post Three and out: Klieman plans to finish career at Kansas State appeared first on On3.
