Kansas State football, Collin Klein add Jeremiah Johnson to staff
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MANHATTAN — Kansas State football has hired a third coach who will look over the defensive backs on Collin Klein’s staff.
Jeremiah Johnson was announced as the Wildcats’ defensive backs coach on Dec. 24. He will depart Coastal Carolina after one season as its defensive coordinator, while also serving as the Chanticleers’ interim head coach late in the season, after their Independence Bowl appearance on Dec. 30.
Klein has three coaches on staff with the title of defensive backs coach, including defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson and co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson. Johnson is the only one with defensive backs coach as his sole title.
Johnson and Klein worked together in 2016 when Klein was a quarterbacks coach at Northern Iowa. Johnson has served as a defensive coordinator at UNI, Kent State and Louisiana Tech.
“Jeremiah is one of the best teachers of the game of football I have been around,” Klein said in a release. “He is a relentless recruiter and a program builder. I am very excited to have him on our staff.”
Johnson’s defenses have had success. Louisiana Tech’s defense ranked 12th nationally in total defense in 2024. He coached at Northern Iowa for 16 seasons, leading 32 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First Team performers and five MVFC Defensive Players of the Year. During his first run as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator from 2014-21, his defenses allowed 19.9 points per game over 99 games.
Jeremiah Johnson coaching history
- 2002, Wyoming (Graduate Assistant/Video Coordinator)
- 2003-04, Loras College (Defensive Backs)
- 2005, Loras College (Wide Receivers)
- 2006, Loras College (Defensive Backs)
- 2007-08, Northern Iowa (Video Coordinator/Assistant Defensive Backs Coach)
- 2009-12, Northern Iowa (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
- 2013-16, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
- 2017-21, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
- 2022, Kent State (Defensive Coordinator)
- 2023, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator)
- 2024, Louisiana Tech (Defensive Coordinator)
- 2025, Coastal Carolina (Defensive Coordinator/Interim Head Coach)
- 2026, K-State (Defensive Backs)
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: Jeremiah Johnson to take assistant coaching job at Kansas State
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