This college football season has been one for the history books. For No. 3 Texas A&M football, it has been one of broken curses, records and a rapid evolution of the program. Coach Mike Elko has led the Aggies to their first 8-0 start since 1992, coming off of the program’s first win in Death Valley since 1994.
A driving force behind this newly found success for the Aggies is second-year offensive coordinator Collin Klein. The former Kansas State quarterback has hit his stride as the offensive mastermind for a talented and dominant A&M offense. He has also led the Aggies to 37.8 points per game, 39 total touchdowns, 43% in third-down efficiency and 459.3 yards per game this season.
Last year, the offense couldn’t quite hit its stride through the air, but with some help from the transfer portal in junior wide receiver KC Concepcion and sophomore WR Mario Craver, the offense has found its footing under the stewardship of Klein and redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed. Fifth in Southeastern Conference in yards per game, fifth in total touchdowns and with Reed tallying just six interceptions, the passing game is now considered a strength.
All of these factors have made Klein an attractive candidate for head coaching positions. There is no shortage of open positions this season, with eight Power Four openings and 11 remaining in the entire FBS through Week 10.
With so many vacancies throughout the college football landscape, it’s likely schools will need to take a swing at someone younger and with a shorter resume. Klein fits that mold, and at just 36 years old, the current coordinator might be looking for a program to mature alongside him.
The real question is, where will he go? He may not go anywhere, as he’s still young and has a pretty safe seat at A&M, but it is highly likely he will receive a few calls. LSU is probably the least likely to take this swing, as it will want someone who’s proved they can lead the Tigers to win a national championship — and soon.
The Tigers don’t hire coaches to shape their program; they hire coaches who fit the “LSU mold,” and Klein is likely not who they will go after. LSU tends to hire proven candidates, and they tend to have a big, loud personality.
The coach I always come back to is Ed Orgeron, born and raised in Louisiana, who started out as a defensive line coach at Miami, where he coached eight all-Americans, including NFL Hall-of-Famer Warren Sapp. He also coached the defensive line at USC and at LSU before becoming the interim and then head coach after they fired Les Miles in 2016.
That leaves 11 other openings and not many candidates to go around. The “big programs” in this cycle are unlikely to take a gamble on someone of Klein’s mold; they like to make splashes and throw big money around, so that also probably eliminates Florida, Penn State and potentially Arkansas. But the Razorbacks are in a tough place right now, so maybe Klein is the jolt they need. Klein would be a great name to lead a talented offense, and the Hogs have no shortage of offensive talent.
So what about the “smaller schools?” The UCLAs, Oklahoma States, Virginia Techs and Stanfords of the college football world? These are the types of schools that salivate for candidates like Klein. They have smaller football budgets, lower expectations from fans, boosters and athletic directors, and generally have more patience with younger coaches.
Oklahoma State is another solid fit, coming off 21 seasons of Mike “I’m a man, I’m 40!” Gundy, this could be a Texas Tech-Kliff Kingsbury situation all over again. Mike Leach leaves and Kingsbury comes around in 2013 at just 33 years old and creates one of the most dominant offenses in the whole country with the help of Whitehouse native and then-unknown quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
Klein can go to Oklahoma State, mold the program — since there’s nothing but ashes left there anyway — and find his Mahomes to really make a name for himself.
“Absolutely, it’s been a dream and a goal of mine,” Klein said at Monday’s press conference when asked about the possibility of being a head coach in the future. “It’s about being with the right people at the right time.” .
Stanford is also one I could see happening, especially with NFL great Andrew Luck being its general manager. He wants to steer that ship just as he did as a player under Jim Harbaugh, and he wants his white whale. Klein could be that for him. Luring a big name away from a big school could really be something for a program that hasn’t had many things to smile about, ever, really.
“It’s an honor, and it means you’re doing something right,” Klein said about being considered for jobs by the national media. “Credit to our players and our entire staff here. Like I said, there’s a lot of season left and a lot of big things ahead of us.”
Being that Klein is a huge part of the turnaround that has happened in Aggieland over the past season and a half, his job is so secure that it could be a government building. Will he stay or will he go? Hypotheticals are fun, aren’t they?
