Date Is Set For Opportunity For Fans To Meet Kansas State Stars
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This is perhaps the most anticipated football season for the Kansas State Wildcats in recent years.
It marks the first year of the coach Collin Klein era. He replaced the successful Chris Klieman, who resigned unexpectedly following last year's 6-6 finish. A former Wildcats star, Klein has hopes of making them once again a contender in the Big 12 conference.
And fans can have their to meet Klein and the players Aug. 22 at the annual "Meet the Cats" event at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Gates open at 11 a.m.
Klein and players will be available for autographs. So will the men's and women's basketball teams, which start their seasons in November.
But the story right now is the football program.
The Wildcats were picked to finish No. 8 in the conference this season. A lot of has changed since last December when Klieman stepped down. It was an easy choice to select Klein as his successor.
He was a K-State star during the early 2010s. A quarterback, Klein led the Wildcats to an 11-1 record in the regular season and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy (won by Texas A & M Aggies star Johnny Manizel).
After his playing days ended, Klein was an assistant with the Wildcats for a few seasons before becoming the offensive coordinator at Texas A & M in 2024. He lasted two years there before the opportunity of a lifetime became available.
It's not often a former player gets the opportunity to return to coach his alma mater. Klein also gets to reunite with Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson, who is back for potentially his last season in Manhattan. It was Klein who helped recruit Johnson out of Maize High School in Wichita.
Their continued bond is why some are predicting Johnson to have a breakout in his third season as a full-time starter.
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of KStateRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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