What Collin Klein's peers have said about the new Kansas State coach

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

MANHATTAN — Kansas State football coach Collin Klein has received plenty of praise from his peers over the years, with many complimenting him as a person and as an up-and-coming play-caller.

A common theme among other coaches is Klein’s ability to adapt to his personnel rather than forcing them to play one style. It’s what made him a hot commodity when several schools tried to hire him away from Kansas State when he was its offensive coordinator, and it’s what’s made him ready to take over as the Wildcats’ head coach.

Here are some of the things other coaches have said about Klein and his coaching abilities over the years.

Bill Snyder, Kansas State legend

Snyder has said plenty about his former quarterback over the years, but we’re going back to when he first hired Klein to be his quarterbacks coach in 2017.

Klein said how happy he was to return “home” and expressed his excitement to learn from Snyder and outgoing quarterback coach and offensive coordinator Del Miller, who had announced his retirement.

“Collin is a great person: caring, loyal, hard working, responsible and disciplined,” Snyder added. “He will be received well by his peers, players and support staff, as will his lovely wife Shalin. Collin has a love and passion, not only for football, but even more so for guiding youth toward successful lives.

“Our program has always been centered around achieving success in five different areas of a young man’s life: becoming the best they possibly can with their faith, their family, as a person, a student and a football athlete. Collin represents those priorities as well as any player we have ever had.”

Mike Elko, Texas A&M coach

Klein’s boss at Texas A&M appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Nov. 6 and called Klein a “critical hire” for the program’s success.

“Obviously, when you’re the defensive-minded guy, that’s a critical hire,” Elko said. “I did a really similar thing when I got to Duke, as I kind of locked myself in a room and studied offenses. I watched what he did at Kansas State and thought he was really calculated in how he attacked people. He did a really good job utilizing his personnel there.

“I sat down and had a talk with him, we actually had breakfast in Colorado. We just really hit it off. Philosophically, we’re very much aligned in how we see things, and obviously, he’s done a tremendous job coordinating that side of the ball and creating an explosive pack every week.”

Bobby Petrino, former Arkansas coach

Petrino, serving as Arkansas’ interim coach this past season, was asked about Klein before the Razorbacks played the Aggies on Oct. 18. The Razorbacks beat Kansas State in the 2012 Cotton Bowl, when Klein was the starting quarterback.

“I always thought he was a heck of a runner with the football,” Petrino said. “When we had to play him and even years prior to that, watching the quarterback runs, I think he was probably on the front end of quarterback-designed runs when he was a player, and they did a great job with it.

“Always had an extra blocker, made it really tough. He was a strong, physical guy who could really do a great job of running the ball.”

He also praised his role as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator.

“He’s done a nice job of adapting to their talent,” Petrino said. “He seems a little bit different than what he was at Kansas State, and he’s utilizing the personnel that he has. It’s a great challenge for us. Defensively, we just have to make sure we recognize formations, motions and try to get a pre-snap key of what’s coming.”

Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame coach

Freeman attempted to hire Klein away from K-State before he ended up at Texas A&M. The two faced off over the last two seasons, with the Aggies winning 41-40 on Sept. 13. Freeman was asked about Klein ahead of Notre Dame’s game against Texas A&M in 2024.

“Very creative mind,” Freeman said. “You’re preparing for a lot more than what you’re really going to see. We have to be able to settle down and say, ‘OK, here’s the things we think we’re going to see’ or that we are seeing the first couple of series, and ‘here’s what we want to do defensively.’

“More than anything as you watch (Klein’s) offenses at Kansas State, he does a great job of utilizing different personnel, formation shifts. I remember at the time that we were looking for an offensive coordinator, what attracted me to what they did at Kansas State was their ability to use multiple tight ends, to have some type of what I call the pro-style offense and have success doing it.”

Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: K-State coach Collin Klein praised by other college football coaches

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos