There are promises you make to your spouse in conversation, and then there are promises you put in writing, sign, and physically hand over as proof. When college football programs began pursuing Kansas State general manager Trey Scott, he made sure his promise fell into the second category.
Scott had already told his wife that he had no intention of chasing the increasingly attractive general manager positions emerging across college football—unless one specific coach reached out. That coach was Collin Klein, Scott’s former Kansas State teammate and the man who would eventually become the Wildcats’ head coach.
As fate would have it, that exact scenario unfolded.
Trey Scott Put His One Exception In Writing
Scott was hardly desperate for a career change.
He had spent 11 years working in NFL personnel departments with Washington and the Raiders, eventually climbing to assistant director of player personnel. He later transitioned into representing coaches and executives, first with Rep 1 Sports and then Excel Sports Management.
At the time, Scott was also living close to his wife Lauren’s family. So when college programs began showing interest in him for the rapidly expanding GM positions in the college game, he and his wife had a serious discussion about whether making the move was worth it.
Scott told CBS Sports that he assured Lauren he would not pursue any of those opportunities unless a particular person contacted him. He took that promise a step further: he wrote it down, signed it, and gave the document to her.
The name written on that piece of paper was Collin Klein.
And incredibly, Klein eventually made the call.
Kansas State hired Klein on Dec. 4 following his two seasons as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator. Just one week later, the Wildcats announced Scott as their new general manager, bringing two former Kansas State quarterbacks back to Manhattan to help lead the program.
Klein Already Knew Exactly Who He Wanted
The connection between Scott and Klein goes well beyond simply having played quarterback at the same school.
Scott was a Kansas State quarterback from 2007 through 2010 and served as Klein’s backup during their time together in Manhattan. While their careers eventually took them in very different directions, the relationship remained intact.
Klein moved into coaching, while Scott built his career evaluating talent inside NFL organizations. Their football conversations continued throughout the years.
While Scott was working as an NFL scout, the two would occasionally cross paths on the road and spend hours talking about players, positional traits, scouting evaluations and the qualities NFL teams valued when constructing a roster.
That history eventually made Klein’s decision regarding his general manager surprisingly simple.
He already knew who he wanted.
Kansas State ultimately brought Scott aboard to handle roster construction, player retention and talent acquisition at a time when college football’s personnel operations increasingly resemble NFL front offices. NIL, revenue sharing and the transfer portal have transformed roster management into a year-round personnel battle.
Scott’s background made him particularly suited for that challenge.
He had spent more than a decade inside NFL personnel departments, worked with the Raiders and Washington, and later represented coaches and executives. By then, he had established a comfortable life outside college athletics.
Apparently, there was only one person capable of convincing him to change course.
That person was Klein.
And when Klein got the Kansas State job, the promise Scott had literally signed for his wife suddenly became very relevant.