Kansas State reportedly has a new assistant coach as Chris Klieman has finished filling out his 2020 staff.
Only one issue: it’s left Syracuse in a bit of a lurch.
Yahoo! Sports reports that the Wildcats have hired Steve Stanard to fill their vacant linebackers opening. That post was previously held by Scottie Hazelton, who left to become Michigan State’s defensive coordinator.
While Kansas State filled Hazelton’s DC role internally by promoting safeties coach Joe Klanderman, Stanard will take over Hazelton’s old position group going forward.
Sources: Kansas State is hiring Steve Stanard for the open linebacker coach job. He comes from Syracuse, where he held the same position. He’s also worked at Wyoming and North Dakota State.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 5, 2020
The move from upstate New York to the Little Apple by Stanard leaves the Orange in a bit of a lurch. The team is scheduled to start spring ball in just three days.
Dino Babers has already dealt with plenty of turnover already on the defensive side of the ball so if nothing else he’ll at least be used to things. Stanard took over as Syracuse’s interim DC after Brian Ward was fired mid-season. The latter was first replaced by San Diego State’s Zach Arnett, who then spurned the program to take the same gig for Mike Leach at Mississippi State.
Tony White was eventually hired as Babers new defensive coordinator from Arizona State. Now the duo will have to do double duty with a big vacancy in the middle of teaching the team a new scheme.
As far as Stanard goes though, the move to KSU is hardly unexpected. He worked under Klieman at North Dakota State several years ago coaching linebackers and will do so again in 2020.
The duo might not, however, be getting a Christmas card from Babers and company at any point in the near future.
