(BCSNN) -- There is a whole lot of reason to be excited in the Little Apple with the news that one of the greatest players in Kansas State history is returning to lead the Wildcats. Collin Klein, a 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of the K-State Football Ring of Honor, has been named the program’s 36th head football coach, athletics director Gene Taylor announced Thursday evening.

Klein, who has spent nine of his 12 years in coaching at Kansas State, will be formally introduced Friday at Morgan Family Arena. He has agreed to a five-year contract averaging $4.3 million annually to guide his alma mater.

“We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan,” Taylor said. “Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved.”

Klein currently serves as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, where he has helped the Aggies to an 11–1 record and a potential College Football Playoff berth. He will remain with A&M through its postseason run before officially taking over in Manhattan.

“My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home,” Klein said. “The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward. This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work.”

Klein is the first K-State alum to serve as head coach since Ellis Rainsberger (1975–77). As offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023, he guided the Wildcats to a Big 12 Championship and two of the most productive seasons in program history, including 37.1 points per game in 2023 — the highest average since his senior season in 2012.

During his playing career, Klein led Kansas State to a 21–5 record as starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, culminating in a Big 12 title, Fiesta Bowl berth, and a No. 1 national ranking. He won the Johnny Unitas Award in 2012 and finished his career ranked in the school’s top 10 in 34 statistical categories.

Klein’s coaching résumé includes stints as quarterbacks coach, co-offensive coordinator, and recruiting staffer at K-State, as well as a season at Northern Iowa. At Texas A&M, he has overseen one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, earning recognition as a 2025 Broyles Award semifinalist.

A graduate of Kansas State with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Klein is married to former Wildcat basketball player Shalin Spani. The couple has three sons — Beric, Rhett, and Trek — and a daughter, Briar.