MANHATTAN — When Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman signed an eight-year contract extension in 2023, it placed his salary solidly in the top half of the Big 12. That did not change with the addition of four new schools to the conference and the departure of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC.
In fact, according to salary figures compiled and released Wednesday by USA Today, Klieman’s 2024 compensation of $5.25 million ranks fifth among public schools in the 16-team Big 12. That does not include private schools Brigham Young, Baylor and TCU.
USA Today had no figures for BYU coach Kalani Sitake, while the pay listed for TCU’s Sonny Dykes ($5,008,414) and Baylor’s Dave Aranda ($4,540,885) are based on federal tax records that cover the 2022 tax year.
The contract that Klieman signed on May 11 of last year — replacing a 2019 deal that ran through 2026 — extended its life through 2030 with a total compensation of $44 million or an average of $5.5 million per year. With the Wildcats winning eight games in 2023 — their overall record was 9-4 — it triggered an automatic one-year extension through 2031 at the maximum of $6.5 million.
