After losing co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson to Ole Miss, Kansas State is adding another defensive staffer to the program. The Wildcats added Marcel Yates as the new cornerback coach.
"I am grateful to join the staff at Kansas State and be a part of a program with so much history and success," Yates said in his statement upon hiring. "I am excited to work with Coach Klein and the staff of great coaches he has assembled."
Yates has a decorated resume, with his most prominent stops at Boise State and Arizona. He was most recently the passing game coordinator/secondary coach at Texas Tech.
BOISE STATE
- 2003-05 (Cornerbacks)
- 2006-10 (Defensive Backs)
- 2011 (Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
- 2014-15 (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
ARIZONA
- 2016-19 (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers/Cornerbacks)
"Marcel brings a lot of experience developing players at a high level," coach Collin Klein said in a statement. "He was a character and integrity fit, and I am very excited to have him join our staff. He is a great relationship builder and teammate."
KANSAS STATE'S COLLIN KLEIN WANTS TO DEVELOP STRONG PROGRAM CULTURE
For Kansas State coach Collin Klein, the goal, of course, is to contend with the conference's best and shift the direction the program took last season.
But beyond that, he wants to ensure the institution develops its players to turn talent into program cornerstones and grow during their time in Manhattan, KS.
"When I say being a developmental program, I think we're gonna be able to develop talent here very well, which I’m really excited about," Klein said in his Big 12 Today interview. "I think I’ll be able to have a much better feel after spring when we get on the grass and see how a lot of these pieces fit together."
He must do this with a new-look unit next season, after Kansas State lost a significant chunk of its core through the transfer portal. Losing players like Austin Romaine, Jayce Brown, and Qua Moss was detrimental to a team already trying to rebound from 2025.
Luckily, Klein is confident in the pieces Kansas State retained or brought in through the portal. Among those are edge rushers Wendell Gregory and Elijah Hill to help set the edge defensively, and running back Rodney Fields Jr. to add to a revamped rushing attack. Klein also talked about retaining wide receiver Jaron Tibbs, tight end Garrett Oakley, and cornerbacks Donovan McIntosh and Zachon Rich.
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