Kansas State football opens the Collin Klein era this week vs Nicholls

MANHATTAN — To the tune of the famous opening riff of Wolfmother's Joker and the Thief, Collin Klein emerged from the southwest tunnel of Morgan Family Arena, reintroducing himself to the Kansas State faithful , this time as the Wildcats' head coach.

Perhaps the most beloved player in the history of the Wildcats football program was home. A two-year stint as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator prepared him for a moment that he dreamt of since his first visit to the Manhattan campus nearly two decades before. That visit launched a playing career that made him a Heisman Trophy finalist en route to a Big 12 title, before he returned as an assistant and helped lead the Wildcats to another conference championship.

"I told our players this afternoon that they're going to get every ounce that I have to help move this program forward in every single area," Klein said on that December afternoon . "I love challenges; I love going and doing hard things. To take this program where it has never been is going to be hard, and I want it to be hard. We are going to attack this thing together, as a staff, as players, as a fanbase and as an administration... We're going to take this program where it hasn't been before."

Photos from Kansas State football fall camp practice

An offseason of celebration followed, and Klein and his new staff won on the recruiting trail in ways K-Staters aren't used to. At the same time, the team prepared for a year with high expectations and the chance to contend for a championship in the Big 12 Conference.

Come Saturday, Sept. 5, Klein will run out of the northwest tunnel of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, leading the Wildcats as head coach for the first time. To the tune of the famous opening riff of Wolfmother's Joker and the Thief, the opening kick of Kansas State 's new era will commence, officially starting the 2026 season and an exciting new era of Wildcats football.

"I've been a part of this program at every level, from recruit to player to graduate assistant to position coach to coordinator to, now, head coach," Klein said. "To be able to carry on the legacy of the incredible head coaches that have been here before is a little surreal, but I'm still very honored."

Collin Klein replaced Chris Klieman as Kansas State football coach

Reports emerged on the morning of what was supposed to be a regular National Signing Day in early December that Chris Klieman was retiring as the Wildcats' coach after a 6-6 season. Those reports also connected Klein to his alma mater after a successful two-year stint at Texas A&M, where he solidified his reputation as one of college football's better playcallers.

Klein and Klieman later said that the outgoing coach called his former offensive coordinator and told him to hold off on accepting another job, believed to be at South Florida, because Kansas State was about to open. Athletic director Gene Taylor said that when Klieman informed him of his retirement, he told his boss it was time to bring Klein home.

It happened quickly. Klieman announced his retirement on the evening of National Signing Day, and Klein was officially named the Wildcats' coach the next day, signing a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million. He was introduced at Morgan Family Arena the day after.

"God's timing is perfect with how everything went down, and I couldn't be more grateful to be home," Klein said moments after his plane touched down . "This is family. I'm lost for words."

Collin Klein turning in early big wins on recruiting trail

A celebration followed Klein into the offseason, as he continued to win over the fanbase's belief through his recruiting victories. A busy transfer portal window in January saw him land new weapons for quarterback Avery Johnson, along with potential defensive standouts like Wendell Gregory and Mekhi Mason.

When Klein turned his attention to the 2027 recruiting class, he won in ways Kansas State has never seen before .

With 29 players committed, Kansas State currently has a consensus Top 30 class, which includes the top in-state prospect and multiple four-star prospects. Some three-stars are knocking on the door of becoming four-star prospects, while the class only trails Texas Tech within the Big 12. The class is trending toward one of the best, if not the best in program history.

"I tell them it's gonna be hard; I tell them that it's a badge of honor to wear that Powercat, and the most valuable things in your life, you're gonna have to pay the most for, and we're gonna make that price really freaking high to play at K-State," Klein said at Big 12 Media Days . "Guys are attracted to that, and the right guys will be attracted to that."

Kansas State enters 2026 season with high expectations

A transformational offseason finally brings Kansas State into a game week, with Kansas State opening against Nicholls at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. An expected sold-out crowd under the stadium's new LED lights will begin a new era, while fans hope the play on the field will keep the party going.

The Wildcats have high expectations in 2026. Johnson is back as K-State's starting quarterback for his third season. They hope the weapons around him are upgrades, while the defense has much room for improvement after the 2025 campaign. A favorable draw in the Big 12 schedule could have the Wildcats in contention, while they enter the year with the fourth-best odds to win the league.

It won't go without its challenges. Kansas State's offensive line has already taken a big hit with All-Big 12 tackle John Pastore out for the season, which will lead to a completely new starting unit. The defense has multiple personnel questions. Johnson also needs to take a step forward.

Those questions will soon be answered when Klein walks out of the tunnel, and the guitar riff to Joker and the Thief sounds over the stadium's speakers. An offseason of anticipation will finally reach its end.

"This place is home; this place is family," Klein said. "I still have to pinch myself sometimes because it's so special."

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