<p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman is keenly aware of the optics that come with his lucrative contract extension, which was announced Monday several months after it was concluded. </p><p>Klieman understands that there are still plenty of people struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he feels empathy for the hundreds of school employees still facing furloughs this fiscal year. But school officials also believe they have a winner in Klieman, and the importance of keeping him on the sideline outweighed any potential public backlash.</p>

Chris Klieman aware of optics of raise during the COVID-19 pandemic