(STATS) – North Dakota State coach Chris Klieman will be named Kansas State’s new coach, but likely will continue to guide the Bison in this year’s FCS playoffs, according to reports Monday.
Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports was the first to report Klieman is expected to take over the Big 12 program, but tweeted he is “expected to coach NDSU as far as they go in FCS Playoffs.” Jake Trotter of ESPN reported the 51-year-old coach will receive a six-year deal, paying him $2.3 million a year with $200,000 annual raises.
At Klieman’s weekly news conference earlier in the day, he said he expected to know more on the situation within 24 hours.
Klieman has a 67-6 record in five seasons guiding North Dakota State heading into a national semifinal against South Dakota State Friday night. If the Missouri Valley Conference program repeats as national champion, it would become the first in FCS history to win seven titles – all since 2011 – and Klieman would become the second head coach with four titles, tying Youngstown State’s Jim Tressel for the most all-time.
Klieman was an assistant coach on the first three NDSU champions. Athletic director Gene Taylor, who’s now in the same position at Kansas State, named Klieman as the next Bison coach in December 2013 when, in a similar situation, former coach Craig Bohl announced he would step down to become Wyoming’s coach following the season.
A graduate of Northern Iowa, where he was a defensive back, Klieman went 3-7 in one season coaching Loras College in 2005.
He will succeed Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder, who retired earlier this month after going 215-117-1 in two stints at Kansas State.
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