There are potential advantages to hiring Chris Klieman as UCLA's next football coach, due to the fact that he is a successful coach with a solid record.
As the head coach of the Wildcats, Klieman has a 49–31 record and has won four FCS national titles at North Dakota State before joining Kansas State. In his fourth season as coach of the Wildcats, he led Kansas State to a Big 12 championship. It's well known that he gets the most out of his players, and that is something UCLA is looking for in its new head coach.
Klieman is renowned for his diligence and commitment to player development. He is known to hold his players and staff to a high standard and help them realize their greatest potential. Kansas State has won 8 or more games from 2019 to 2024, and its only season where its team didn't achieve this amount of wins was the Covid-affected season in 2020.
Klieman has maintained a reputable program, and during his tenure as head coach of the Wildcats, they have never been involved in any significant controversies or infractions against the NCAA.
UCLA's football candidates 10 point criteria scale breakdown can be viewed in the below link.
Criteria No. 1: Yes
Criteria No. 2: No (very close)
He is not a bad recruiter by any means, and the school is investing in upgrades to their stadium, but to definitely say that he is a top-tier recruiter or that he is getting the same financial support that his main rival Kansas, is getting would not be accurate.
Criteria No. 3: Yes
Criteria No. 4: No
He has coached in states that have Big Ten teams as an assistant coach but has not been on staff of a Big Ten program.
Criteria No. 5: Yes
He gets a yes for this criteria because nine out of ten times, teams have trouble scoring more than 29 points on the Wildcats. His team's have a strong defensive identity.
Criteria No. 6: Yes
Criteria No. 7: Yes
Criteria No. 8: No
He has no known relationship with UCLA.
Criteria No. 9: No
He has not coached in a big media market as head or assistant coach.
Criteria No. 10: Yes
Score: 6 out of 10
There are no signs that he might leave Kansas State to take over as UCLA's head football coach. He might, however, be the ideal candidate for the Bruins' next coach.