Frisco, Texas
When Chris Klieman informed North Dakota State players he was leaving to become the head coach at Kansas State last month, disappointment filled the room.
Defensive end Greg Menard remembers hanging his head and thinking, “Oh man, this (stinks), we’re losing our coach.”
But those emotions only lasted a little while.
“After it all settled down, after the first couple of minutes, the shock factor, everyone was really happy for him,” Menard said Friday at a news conference the day before the FCS championship game. “It doesn’t happen very often going from an FCS school to a Power Five school. So everyone was really happy for Coach.”
Klieman has been working double duty ever since, spending time at Kansas State as a recruiter and at North Dakota State as a man in pursuit of his fourth championship with the Bison.
Some might expect the stress of two high-pressure jobs might get to him or at least cause a distraction, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Since taking the job at K-State, Klieman has helped the Wildcats sign 15 new recruits and hire nine assistants. All the while, he has guided North Dakota State to a dominant victory over South Dakota State in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs and has them prepared to take on Eastern Washington with a trophy at stake.
The Bison are 14-0. With one more victory, Klieman will have a dream finish for his final game wearing green.
Klieman is thrilled to be on his way to K-State, but he wants that first. So much so, that he has said he might not have taken his new job had the Wildcats demanded he leave Fargo before the conclusion of the season.
Four of his NDSU assistants are joining him at K-State after this game. But they all stayed together first.
Bison players appreciate that.
“I think that’s what everyone on our team wanted,” NDSU defensive back Robbie Grimsley said. “We all kind of came together, and we thought that was best for the team. Everyone wants to play for all the coaches that are heading out there. We love these guys, and we know they love us and they’ve given their heart and soul for the program and that’s what we do for them. And I don’t think anyone would have it any other way.”
After hearing some of this on Friday, Klieman had difficulty fielding his first question from reporters.
He has a special relationship with his North Dakota State players. He took over as coach for Craig Bohl in 2014 and has since gone 68-6 with three national championships. Any recruit Klieman signed to his first class who redshirted has been with him the entire time.
It will be hard for him to say goodbye, even with a dream opportunity awaiting him in Manhattan.
“I’ve got a lump in my throat just listening to them because I love those guys,” Klieman said. “And they love each other. That’s what this is all about, impacting lives and making a difference in people’s lives.”
“They’ve made a huge impact on my life and on my family’s, and obviously they’re doing that in the locker room as well. That’s what’s pretty cool. That’s where I know the culture is going to stay the same, because the juniors see it, the sophomores see it, the freshmen see it. And that’s Bison pride and that’s Bison football.”
Klieman hopes to build a similar culture at K-State over the next few years. But he’s got one more game to win first.
Not all coaches would have stayed after getting a bigger and better job. Klieman wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“We are happy for him, excited for him, because it’s an opportunity that we think he deserves and has absolutely earned,” NDSU quarterback Easton Stick said. “We were disappointed to see him leave, because we love him. But at the same time we were excited for him and know he’s going to do great things.”