Lost Faith In Klieman

[Kid In the Hall]

There are certainly moments where you can question coaches, decisions they make, etc. and that's part of the normal discourse of fans and the relationship with sports teams.

I'm certainly not a fan of everything Klieman does (especially his OC choice), but I have always liked him, what he says, how he carries himself, etc.

But, his press conference following the game today might make me change my mind. Excuse after excuse - largely blamed on COVID (as if nobody else is dealing with it), transfers (arguably the staff's fault) and a minimal amount of ownership as the head coach that he is ultimately responsible.

To me, the most telling exchange was when he was asked about the tackling issues and his irritaed response was terse: "its poor leverage, its not strong enough, its not big enough, its not physical enough."

That response - to say nothing of the fact that he recruited many of these subpar players - came on the heels of him suggesting that many players in the program haven't made the commitment to getting "bigger, stronger, faster."

You're the CEO of this enterprise - own it and accept that it is YOUR job to ensure that these things happen.

I'm not completely off the bandwagon, but these comments are worrisome for me...

[84cat]

I agree!

[pipe95]

So it’s Kliemans fault Snyder and his staff failed to recruit their last couple of years?

So Kliemans fault Skyler got hurt? How many more games do we win just with Skyler?

Kliemans fault we have Covid? Did Snyder ever have any quality depth? Remember the losses we took cause our starting QB had a shoulder injury(every year) and our backup was a walk on?

What’s your opinions on Weber? I’m curious because Klieman is in year 2. Weber is in year 9. Weber had one of the worst seasons last year in program history and looking to repeat or do worse this year in year 9 of his program? Satisfied with that?

These last 5 games have been disappointing and the last 3 games are an embarrassment. But Jeesh people give the guy a freaking chance. He had to start a LB at safety today do to no depth. He’s had 2 recruiting classes.

Edit:: the Weber team just lost at home to a team that was 0-4 and played four games in a week........ok with that?

[DeereCatFan]

I can certainly understand the concerns if that's the way his presser went. I didnt listen to it, but he needs to own up to it. I am tired of the covid excuses. Everybody is dealing with it. Hell Texas lost what 2 or 4 just to opting out after the isu loss. They were depleted as well. That was just domination in the trenches by Texas today. How the Cats won 4 games is kind of a mystery to me. Sucks but I dont e expect much next year either.

And basketball $%&#! That is just piss poor. Weber will turn those higher ranked players into lower ranked in no time at all. No benefit at all reaped from either if his conference championships. Just the consolation prize of a first round exit in the NCAA tourney after each. But hey that's just my opinion.

[Kid In the Hall]

So it’s Kliemans fault Snyder and his staff failed to recruit their last couple of years?

So Kliemans fault Skyler got hurt? How many more games do we win just with Skyler?

Kliemans fault we have Covid? Did Snyder ever have any quality depth? Remember the losses we took cause our starting QB had a shoulder injury(every year) and our backup was a walk on?

What’s your opinions on Weber? I’m curious because Klieman is in year 2. Weber is in year 9. Weber had one of the worst seasons last year in program history and looking to repeat or do worse this year in year 9 of his program? Satisfied with that?

These last 5 games have been disappointing and the last 3 games are an embarrassment. But Jeesh people give the guy a freaking chance. He had to start a LB at safety today do to no depth. He’s had 2 recruiting classes.

Edit:: the Weber team just lost at home to a team that was 0-4 and played four games in a week........ok with that?

Take a look at the impact players on this team - the clear majority are Snyder players. In fact, Vaughn is just about the only major impact player in two years of Klieman recruiting classes (I suppose you can count Howard in that group, but don't forget that Klieman ran off two reasonably highly touted QB recruits in Holcombe and Herron, which is part of the reason why we had no depth and played a true freshman this year). And, let's not forget the record-setting pace this team is on with respect to transfers in the portal this year - the vast majority being Klieman recruits.

But, this post wasn't about players, talent, etc. It was about Klieman shuffling blame to anyone that wasn't him.

When you're in a leadership position, you accept the blame for failures - you don't make excuses and push the blame on others. Every coach in the country could blame COVID for their team's issues. But, that's not quality leadership - it's making excuses for your own failures.

That's the main point I was making.

As it relates to Weber, that's a topic for another thread...

[AJcat7755]

I dont like the reasoning of everyone is dealing with it. When Texas loses a starter, you know who they plug in? Another blue chip recruit. When KSU losses a player, on a team that had bad recent recruiting to begin with, you know who they put in? They either have to put in a true freshman or a walkon from the former staff.

KSU secondary tonight was filled with freshman, a player that was playing LB last week, transfers and a former walkon. The WRs have been discussed a lot, but again, filled with former walkon converted DBs, etc.

If in 2 years, when CK has filled a roster of his own players, he still uses the depth excuse, then sure that's a problem, but right now he doesnt have the depth and talent to fall back on that other teams do.

The COVID mess came at a bad time for a team with a new coach still filling the roster and weeding out previous players and a team whos previous coaching left holes in the roster. CK took on a team with no scholarship RBs for example.

[seanrhoten@att.net]

Is this Ron Prince part deux??

[mustang]

Just my take as an interested observor who loves football. If Bill Snyder is going to get blamed for the current roster and the 4 and 6 record, then he should get some accolades for the 2019 season of 8 wins and a bowl berth. In sports too often the departed coach gets blame for the events in the right now. As we speak I am watching Oklahoma wrap up a spot in the Big 12 title game and that's a team K-State beat on the road, so there obviously is talent on this roster. This is the first time Kleiman has ever had this kind of dip in a season, as he was with so many great teams at North Dakota State. Losing is never fun, how you handle it often show true character. The future would appear solid for K-State football with the coach in place and some real talent on the way.

[MajorAppleCat]

The last two games have been embarrassments. HCK's refusal to accept responsibility is telling. Blaming it on Covid is just an excuse. Giving him a contract extension based upon winning with FHCBS players (ST, Rivas, Knowles, Hubert, Wiley, McPherson, Green, Massie, Moore, Lynch, etc.) was premature. After the Oklahoma State fiasco (i.e., blown two point call), this coaching staff mailed in the rest of the season.

I cannot recall when the contract extension to HCK was given, but if it was after ST's injury, I imagine it was done to protect his job. (I place no blame on Will Howard. He was put into an untenable position. However, he simply is not fast enough to be a truly effective dual threat QB. Had KState had a dual threat QB, Vaughn would have had even a better season, i.e., Roberson-Sproles.)

[AJcat7755]

The contract extension discussion was started prior to the season when Michigan State was sniffing around and ended up just taking the DC. He was one of the lowest paid P5 and Big 12 coaches and it got him to the middle of the pack.