Oct 12, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Kansas State Wildcats running back Dylan Edwards (3) celebrates with Kansas State Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman after a win against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

K-State's Chris Klieman In The Hunt For Prestigious Coaching Award

Originally posted on Kansas State Wildcats on SI
By Seth Kunz | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 7:58 PM ET

Kansas State's preseason hype has now spread to its coach, as it was announced on Monday that Chris Klieman was named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list.

.@CoachKli has been named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List ⚒️@thedoddtrophy #DoddTrophy pic.twitter.com/NaBupEJDtI
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) July 7, 2025

Success on the football field is not the only factor considered when awarding the Dodd Trophy.

"For 50 years now, The Dodd Trophy has set the standard for collegiate head coaching awards through its continued emphasis on scholarship, leadership and integrity," Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan said in an official release by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "Although our sport has continuously evolved over the years, these three pillars have stood the test of time and continue to be hallmarks of what makes a coach successful on and off the field."

The Dodd Trophy considered each coach's Academic Progress Rate (APR) when compiling the 26-person list. Klieman has an APR of 997, tied for No. 2 among Big 12 coaches named to the list with Texas Tech's Joey McGuire. Klieman's score is just three points below Iowa State coach Matt Campbell's. Six coaches on the list have a perfect APR of 1000. The lowest APR score on the list is 973.

Team culture will be an essential factor in winning the Dodd Trophy. Klieman has been developing the culture at Kansas State for six full seasons now and discussed it at Big 12 Media Days last year.

"They know who we are, and there's nobody walking around on eggshells in our program," Klieman said of the team culture at Kansas State in an interview with BYUTV Sports Nation. "We're honest with the guys. We're going to challenge them, we're going to love them too... There's stuff that I say, the strength coach says, the coordinators say, man, it's our kids saying it at captain's practice, in the locker room, and out in the community because they know that they want to make sure we're represented in a positive manner."

Kansas State kicks off the season Aug. 23 as it takes on Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. Klieman will look to continue to be a great coach, as well as a great leader in his seventh season with the Wildcats.