Kansas State announced its complete 2026 coaching staff Thursday, ending a six-month assembly process that began when Collin Klein replaced Chris Klieman in February. The former Heisman finalist retained two assistants from the previous regime, hired three coordinators from Power Four programs, and filled five position-coach roles with a mix of FCS promotions and NFL position-coach demotions.
Klein named Courtney Messingham offensive coordinator, Joe Klanderman defensive coordinator, and Sean Snyder special teams coordinator. Messingham arrives from Iowa State, where he coordinated an offense that ranked 22nd nationally in yards per play last season. Klanderman spent four years as linebackers coach at Oregon before a one-year DC stint at Washington State. Snyder, son of Kansas State legend Bill Snyder, returns to Manhattan after seven seasons coordinating special teams at Tulsa and Memphis. The three coordinators carry a combined $2.1 million in reported salary, per public records filed with the Kansas Board of Regents in July.
The retention decisions signal Klein's priorities. He kept offensive line coach Conor Riley, who has developed six NFL draft picks since 2019, and running backs coach Brian Anderson, whose room produced a 1,200-yard rusher in each of the past three seasons. Klein did not retain defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt or cornerbacks coach Van Malone, both of whom joined Klieman's staff at a yet-to-be-announced SEC program last month. The departure of Wyatt, who coached four All-Big 12 defensive linemen in five years, leaves Klein without the program's most credentialed recruiter on the defensive side.
The new hires carry questions about fit and funding. Klein hired linebackers coach Trent Bray from Sacramento State, where Bray coordinated a defense that allowed 18.4 points per game in FCS playoff competition. He hired cornerbacks coach Marcus Robertson from a stint as defensive backs coach with the Las Vegas Raiders, a demotion Robertson took after being passed over for a coordinator role in the NFL. Wide receivers coach Kyle Cefalo arrives from Northern Iowa, where he coached two FCS All-Americans but has never recruited at the Power Four level. The combined experience of Klein's 10 assistants totals 82 years of college coaching, below the Power Four average of 94 years for staffs announced this cycle, per data compiled by 247Sports.
Kansas State athletics director Gene Taylor did not disclose the total staff salary pool, but public filings show assistant compensation rose 11% from 2025 to 2026, reaching $4.8 million before performance bonuses. That figure ranks 9th in the Big 12, ahead of only Baylor, Texas Tech, and UCF. Klein's staff will compete for recruits against coordinators earning $1.5 million or more at Oklahoma State, Arizona State, and BYU. The gap matters in Kansas, where NIL collectives remain smaller than in neighboring states and where Kansas State has signed a top-40 recruiting class only once since 2020.
The staff's first test arrives in 11 days, when Kansas State opens fall camp ahead of a September 2nd season opener against Southeast Missouri State. Klein has 19 returning starters, the second-most in the Big 12, but returns only one offensive coordinator—himself, in 2022, when he served as co-OC under Klieman. Messingham will install a new scheme with 21 practices before the opener. Klanderman inherits a defense that ranked 34th nationally in points allowed last season but lost four starters to the transfer portal in the spring.
Watch whether Klein adds a 10th on-field assistant or an off-field analyst with Power Four experience. Several programs, including Kansas and Iowa State, have hired former coordinators into analyst roles at salaries near $200,000, using the position as a recruiting closer and a scheme consultant. Klein has an open analyst slot and a budget line that could support it, per a person familiar with the department's staffing plan. The hire would need to come before the August 30th deadline for submitting staff rosters to the Big 12.
Klein's staff is now locked. His results will be measured against Klieman's 48-30 record and three bowl wins in five seasons, a standard Klein set himself when he took the job without a national search.
The takeaway
Klein's **$4.8M** staff ranks **9th** in Big 12 pay, with **three** new coordinators and **two** NFL demotions filling out the roster.
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