Despite Ole Miss’s first 11-win regular season in history, its HC Lane Kiffin took the opportunity at LSU. No doubt, a 7-year deal with $13 million annual salary is attractive, but he won’t be leading the Rebels in the playoffs. Similarly, Texas A&M OC Collin Klein is on a similar trajectory and could miss the postseason, but it’s not only for monetary value.

The Aggies OC emerges as the top candidate for the Kansas State head-coaching job following Chris Klieman’s retirement. Returning to his alma mater and replacing the second-winningest coach could spark a positive shift across CFB.

“This is a home run,” said Joe DeLeone during Wednesday’s The Ruffino & Joe Show. “To be able to have somebody who represents your brand, was one of the best players in the history of your program to now take over, who is one of the best offensive minds in the sport. That is so huge. You can’t come by. And in an era right now where we’re seeing Brent Key stay at Georgia Tech, Kalani Sitake stay at BYU, and Clark Lea stay at Vanderbilt, I think that we’re entering into a very interesting pocket of college football.

“It’s a really interesting, weird. We’ve never really seen this in the sport. This many guys who were former players who have the chance to turn their teams into consistent winners.”

In the modern era of CFB, where NIL money lures top talent, the loyalty of some coaches who choose to play for and represent their alma mater truly stands out. If Klein leaves A&M for Kansas State, it would fit that theme perfectly. After all, he’s a Kansas State alum. He played for the Wildcats from 2009 to 2012, where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist and named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Being one of the best players in program history makes him an ideal fit for the head-coaching role, because he already knows the culture inside and out. Now, getting an opportunity to be part of the growth of the school that developed him as a young man is clearly a chance to give back, and Klein has the potential to back that up.

Brought to Bryan-College Station by Mike Elko before the 2024 season, Klein turned the Aggies’ offense into a fireworks show. They finished fourth in the SEC, piling up 286.1 passing yards. Besides, his QB magic only added to the glow. Sophomore Marcel Reed took a massive leap in Year 2 under Klein, looking sharper, and the Aggies nearly doubled last year’s offensive output, exploding to 454.4 YPG.

Probably that’s why DeLeone said, “I think that Colin Klein has shown that he has what it takes to be a great coach in the sport.”

Kansas State also needs an offensive mastermind to follow Klieman, who won four FCS national titles at North Dakota State. If the Wildcats land a play-caller like Klein, it would be a perfect fit. As Blake Ruffino put it, “I think he’s one of the best play callers in the sport. He goes home, and he is going to try to dominate what he just replicated.” He even viewed the Texas A&M OC as a perfect fit for the LSU job if they couldn’t find someone else. Besides, Klein was preferred for several other head coaching jobs due to his offensive play.

Similarly, Kiffin got the opportunity thanks to his offensive magic, but the head coach left the program. The new LSU HC even stated that some of the Rebels players wanted him to stay. But AD Keith Carter put those stories to bed.

“I let them (players) kind of tweet out what they want to tweet out and give information that they want to give,” said AD Carter. “But I don’t think the way he (Kiffin) portrayed that meeting was accurate.”

While in Kiffin’s case, loyalty seems compromised by paycheck or other factors, Texas A&M’s OC returning to K-State would signal loyalty. That’s why even the Aggies HC did not seem to have issues with the change.

Texas A&M OC’s exit gets backing from Mike Elko

Now, Klein’s ties to Kansas State run deep; his success in Bryan-College Station speaks volumes. In 2024, the Aggies’ offense ranked fourth in the SEC, averaging 37.1 points. While the rumor mill is swirling, Elko decided to answer the question rather than evade it

“It’s probably not solidified yet,” Elko said. “The reports tend to precede the official notifications. If it turns out to be as the reports suggest, obviously, it’s a tremendous opportunity for someone on our staff to take the next step in their career, and I will do everything I can to support and help those endeavors.”

In fact, the notion of Klein coaching at Texas A&M through the College Football Playoff before going to Kansas State is also a possibility.

“That would be the expectation,” Elko said. “Some of the conversations we’ve had have led me to believe that would be the case.”

If this happens, the way Elko has stated, it will be a smoother transition for Texas A&M and Kansas State. The total opposite of what Lane Kiffin experienced at Ole Miss.