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College Football 2018: Grading every new Power 5 coaching hire

By John Mitchell

COLUMBUS, OH - DECEMBER 04: Offensive coordinator Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes listens as head coach Urban Meyer answers a question during a press conference at Ohio State University on December 4, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. At the press conference Meyer announced his retirement and Day was announced as the next head coach. Meyer will continue to coach until after the Ohio State Buckeyes play in the Rose Bowl. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - DECEMBER 04: Offensive coordinator Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes listens as head coach Urban Meyer answers a question during a press conference at Ohio State University on December 4, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. At the press conference Meyer announced his retirement and Day was announced as the next head coach. Meyer will continue to coach until after the Ohio State Buckeyes play in the Rose Bowl. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Kena Krutsinger/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kena Krutsinger/Getty Images) /

1. Kansas State Wildcats

New Coach: Chris Klieman
Departed Coach: Bill Snyder

At 79-years-old, it was time for Bill Snyder to hang it up once and for all, the legendary coach twice finding success at a historically downtrodden program.

Snyder is one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, taking a Kansas State program that was perpetually in the basement and making them contenders. Snyder led the Wildcats to a 215-117-1 record over his two stints that spanned 27 seasons.

He first retired following the 2005 season, where he was replaced by Ron Prince, who led Kansas State to a 17-20 mark in three seasons in Manhattan. Snyder came back in 2009, and once again brought the Wildcats back to prominence, most notably capturing the Big 12 Championship in 2012 and coming close to playing for a national title.

This was only the second real coaching search conducted by Kansas State since Snyder was first hired in 1989, and on paper it appears that they have hit a home run in landing Chris Klieman from North Dakota State.

Klieman compiled a 67-6 record in his five seasons with the Bison, capturing three FCS National Championships, with a fourth pending as his team is currently in the midst of the FCS playoffs with an undefeated record.

The Klieman hire was somehow met with critical reception among fans in the Little Apple for reasons that still elude me. Klieman isn’t a flashy coach, but after the success the program sustained under Snyder, the least flashy coach of all time, you would think this hire would resonate more.

Klieman seems like the perfect fit for Kansas State, a coach who will maintain the level of discipline and fundamentals Snyder’s teams were always famous for. He’ll build a strong defense, which will frustrate even the best offenses in the Big 12.

Next. Predictions for every bowl game with confidence points. dark

Klieman ended up as Kansas State’s second choice after North Texas’ Seth Littrell took his name out of the running, but it appears to be a home run hire for the Wildcats as he looks to replace a coaching legend.

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