Kansas State football, Collin Klein hire new linebackers coach
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MANHATTAN — Kansas State football has hired its linebackers coach, bringing over Air Force’s safeties coach, who has experience with new defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson.
Nick Toth will join Collin Klein’s staff at K-State, the school announced on Monday, Dec. 22.
“Jen and I are fired up and blessed to be a part of Collin and Shalin’s Kansas State Football Family,” Toth said in a release. “K-State Athletics has a standard of excellence that Gene Taylor has pushed to the highest level, and the championship tradition that legendary coach Bill Snyder created is what all coaches strive to be a part of. We cannot wait to get to work. EMAW!”
Toth served as a defensive coordinator at Mercyhurst (2006), Ashland (2007-08) and Fresno State (2012-15), and he called Air Force’s defense in the second half of the 2025 season.
Thirteen of his teams have advanced to postseason play. He worked with Peterson at Texas A&M (2010-11) and Fresno State (2012-16), where he served as an outside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, respectively.
In 2024, Air Force’s defense led the Mountain West in total defense, allowing 341.9 yards per game, while the Falcons ranked third nationally in first down defense and 27th in passing defense.
Prior to Air Force, he was the outside linebackers coach at Oregon in 2021, where he coached All-American and future NFL Draft first round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. He also coached for three seasons as UCF’s special teams coordinator, helping it win the 2018 American title and earn a bid to the Fiesta Bowl.
Toth will have plenty of new faces to work with at linebacker following Austin Romaine’s announcement that he will enter the transfer portal and Des Purnell’s graduation.
Nick Toth coaching career
- 2000-01, Ohio (Graduate Assistant)
- 2002, Dakota State (Defensive Backs)
- 2003, Ohio (Tight Ends)
- 2004, Ohio (Defensive Line)
- 2005, Elon (Defensive Backs)
- 2006, Mercyhurst (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
- 2007-08, Ashland (Defensive Coordinator)
- 2009, The Citadel (Special Teams/Defensive Backs)
- 2010-11, Texas A&M (Outside Linebackers/Special Teams)
- 2012-15, Fresno State (Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers)
- 2016, Fresno State (Inside Linebackers)
- 2017, Air Force (Spurs/Nickels)
- 2018-20, UCF (Special Teams Coordinator)
- 2021, Oregon (Outside Linebackers)
- 2022-25, Air Force (Safeties)
- 2026, K-State (Linebackers)
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@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Nick Toth to join Kansas State football staff under Collin Klein
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