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Home > Bison Media Zone > The Klieman - Taylor connection returns to NDSU and Fargo
Podcast: Bison Media Zone
Episode:

The Klieman - Taylor connection returns to NDSU and Fargo
Category: Sports & Recreation
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2024-05-06 11:30:00
Description: FARGO — Devin Klieman and Jared Taylor each thought the idea of coming back to Fargo would be a great way to launch their coaching careers.

New North Dakota State head coach Tim Polasek was the man to make that happen.



"We always kind of joked about working together and working with each other a little bit. I didn't think it would happen as soon as it has." said Klieman.



Taylor added: "It's really cool to be able to work with Devin, somebody I grew up with and spent a lot of time with when we were here as kids. I can't say how fortunate I am."



Ten years after former NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor hired Chris Klieman to be the head football coach of the Bison; their sons are back in Fargo, as coaches on the Bison staff.



Devin Klieman was hired to be the safeties coach in February, just a couple of weeks later, Jared Taylor was named the offensive line graduate assistant coach. The two who shared the Fargodome sidelines when their dads were patrolling it a decade ago, will now do that together this fall.




"There were a couple of tears of joy. It was an awesome phone call to call Mom and Dad and tell him I was coming back to Fargo." Taylor said.




Taylor and his family left Fargo in the summer of 2014 after a thirteen year run as NDSU athletic director as he guided the Bison into the Division I era. Taylor spent three years at the University of Iowa as the deputy AD before he was hired in the spring of 2017 at Kansas State.



Taylor's first major hire was to replace coaching legend Bill Snyder at K-State. He called the guy he hired at NDSU, Klieman, to be his new football coach in December of 2018.



Devin went with his dad to Manhattan in the winter of 2019.




" Jared and I hang out a decent amount in the office and out of the office and that's just kind of another part of our family. When we moved to Manhattan, we lived with the Taylors, it was kind of the same thing." Devin said.



Jared started his college career at Northern State University in Aberdeen as a quarterback before transferring to Washburn University in Kansas to finish his college caree. Devin leapt right into the coaching world, joining his dad in Manhattan.



Each of them were hoping to find a way to get back to Fargo.




"When the news broke with Coach (Matt) Entz everyone kind of knew that it was going to be either Tyler Roehl or Coach Polasek that would be in the mix for the job. I knew I had relationships with those guys, that kind of whatever happened with it, I might have a chance to get a job on the staff." Devin said.



He was officially hired to be the safeties coach on January 25. About two weeks later, Polasek was finishing out his staff when he gave Jared a ring after he just accepted a job at Winona State.



"Coach Polasek gave me a call and asked how are things going and would you be interested in working here? I said heck let's get this thing going." Jared said.



The two former Bison ballboys are now helping coach the team they grew up supporting and cheering for. It's a full-circle moment for each of them.



"I feel like we're in a time capsule, almost nothing changes and yet there has been a ton of changes here in Fargo." Devin said.



Jared added: "It's been a dream of mine to be back at NDSU and as soon as I knew I wanted to coach, it's always been a dream of mine to get to coach here.



I pinch myself every day I walk up in here."


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