Texas A&M bids a grateful farewell to OC Collin Klein as he returns to Kansas State as head coach, leaving behind a high-powered Aggies offense and big shoes to fill.
While Mike Elko and the Texas A&M staff were locking down the future of the program on Early Signing Day, one of the key architects of the Aggies' offensive surge was quietly stepping into his own future.
Reports on Wednesday revealed that long-time Kansas State assistant and current Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein is set to return to his alma mater as the Wildcats' next head coach following Chris Klieman's retirement.
For Klein, it's not just a promotion, it's a homecoming to the place where he nearly won the Heisman Trophy and began his coaching journey.
Klein arrived in College Station in 2024 after nearly a decade on staff at Kansas State, serving as a graduate assistant, quarterbacks coach, and eventually offensive coordinator.
In two short years with the Aggies, he left a clear imprint. Under his direction, Texas A&M's offense took a major step forward, especially in 2025, averaging 454.4 yards per game and helping launch Marcel Reed into stardom.
Even with his future set in Manhattan, Klein isn't bailing early. He'll remain on staff through the College Football Playoff run, giving the Aggies continuity at a crucial moment.
Still, Texas A&M chose to acknowledge the moment with a heartfelt farewell on social media.
"Forever grateful for your time here in Aggieland, Coach Klein! Best of luck at your alma mater," the program posted, adding a nod to Kansas State: "@KStateFB you're getting a good one."
Klein has never hidden his ambition.
"Absolutely. It's been a dream and a goal of mine, but it's about being with the right people at the right time and that's here, right now," he said earlier this season when asked about becoming a head coach. Now, "right place, right time" just happens to be the school that shaped him.
Elko struck a supportive, big-picture tone when asked about the move.
"It’s a tremendous opportunity for someone on our staff to take the next step in their career," he said. "And I do everything I can to support and help those endeavors."
From graduate assistant in 2014 to offensive coordinator in the SEC and now head coach at his alma mater, Klein's climb has been steady and earned.
For Texas A&M, his tenure was brief but impactful ... a more efficient, explosive offense, a quarterback playing fearless football, and a standard that now must be carried forward.
Aggieland will get one more ride with Collin Klein on the headset.
After that, he leaves not as a short-term rental, but as a coach who helped push the program closer to where it wants to go, while finally getting the chance to lead the place that made him.