An intriguing clause written into a coaching contract Jim Leavitt recently signed was done without any kind of arrangement with Kansas State, the Oregon defensive coordinator said Wednesday.

As part of Leavitt’s deal, he will not be required to pay Oregon any portion of buyout figures stipulated in his contract if he should leave to become head coach at K-State.

"I didn’t expect it to get out and be a big deal,’’ Leavitt, 60, told The Topeka Capital-Journal. "My mission right now is to build a defense at Oregon. I hope coach (Bill) Snyder coaches another 30 years. You don’t know. He’s an iron man.

"When that day is (that Snyder retires), they’ll get a good coach. If I’m even a thought, then great. If they go another direction, then I’ll want whatever is best for Kansas State. I truly do. That’s not a political statement. I truly mean that.’’

The new contract Leavitt signed stipulates that if he leaves for any job before Jan. 31, 2018, he would owe $500,000. If he leaves after that date but before Jan. 31, 2020, he would owe $250,000. However, wording in his contract prevents enforcement of the buyout clause if Leavitt leaves for Kansas State.

Kansas State athletic director John Currie declined to comment.

The four-year deal Leavitt signed with Oregon provides a $1.15 million salary, one of the most lucrative among college football coordinators.

At 77, Snyder has revealed no plans to retire a second time. Expectations exist for a strong 2017 season. K-State started 15 underclassmen in the Texas Bowl, a 33-28 victory over Texas A&M. The Wildcats finished 9-4, including wins in six of their last seven games.

The 2016 season was the 25th for Snyder as K-State’s coach. He previously stepped away from football for three years following the 2005 season after spending 17 years transforming the K-State program.

At that time, Leavitt was interviewed for the Kansas State opening. He was then head coach at South Florida, a program he started from scratch, and loomed as a potential front-runner for the K-State post, which was eventually filled by Ron Prince.

It was in 2005 that South Florida moved into the Big East and appeared in its first-ever bowl against North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

"We were in the middle of the season and there were a lot of things going on,’’ Leavitt said. "I am kind of like coach (Snyder) in that way. I wanted to protect our players. Certainly my mom and dad being down there too (in the Tampa area) was a factor.

"But there was more than that. You don’t really just say no to Kansas State. There was a lot more involved than what it appears, really and truly. Everything was done in a professional way and it was done right. There were no issues with either party. It was just timing and things that were going on, and certainly my focus was on the players I was with and that team.’’

Leavitt was eventually terminated by South Florida following an investigation into mistreatment of a player, an accusation he refutes.

"You keep moving on and you keep thinking time will tell the story,’’ he said.

Leavitt went on to coach in the NFL as linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14. He returned to the major-college level as defensive coordinator the past two seasons at Colorado.

The passion Leavitt maintains for K-State, and desire to potentially be considered for the head coaching position, stems from his time as a defensive assistant for Snyder’s early teams.

Leavitt joined the K-State staff in 1990 and after two seasons was promoted to co-defensive coordinator alongside current Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. Each left after the 1995 season, when the Wildcats ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense.

"That was my first start to college football,’’ Leavitt said. "I had some fun years with Bob, working with him for six years, and Dana (Dimel), Del (Miller) and Sean (Snyder). Everybody.

"We put that (Oregon contract clause) in just for me. I love the people in the state of Kansas. They’re special people, and they’ve always been great to me. So that’s the deal.’’

With Oregon, Leavitt was the first assistant hired by new coach Willie Taggart.

This past season, Leavitt was a finalist for the Broyles Award, presented to the nation’s top assistant, after Colorado ranked 17th nationally in total defense.

Offers for head coaching positions, Leavitt said, have been extended by schools at levels lower than the Power Five.

"I’ve always wanted to be at the highest level,’’ he said. "I want to be at the big stage, and Oregon excites me because of the opportunity for greatness and to do some special things.

"I don’t look at where their defense is now. I look at where their defense can be. It’s not going to be an abrupt change. … We’ve got work to do. Is it going to be easy? No, nothing is.’’