Kansas State Wildcats announce two changes to Chris Klieman’s football coaching staff
Chris Klieman will turn to a pair of coaches to lead Kansas State’s offense next season.
The Wildcats have announced that offensive line coach Conor Riley has been promoted to coordinator while former Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells has been hired as a co-coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
It remains to be seen which of them will call plays during the 2024 season.
Their job titles are slightly different. Riley will hold the primary title of offensive coordinator but Wells will also serve as associate head coach.
Klieman thought Riley was worthy of a promotion after he helped guide the Wildcats to a 28-19 victory over North Carolina State at the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
“As I have said before, Conor has been with me for more than a decade, and he is deserving of this opportunity,” Klieman said in a statement. “He did a phenomenal job of leading the offensive room during our bowl preparation, and our coaches and players have the utmost respect for him and his ability to lead.”
Riley is one of the top offensive line coaches in the country, and he will continue tutoring that position in his new role.
“I’m very appreciative for this opportunity provided by Gene Taylor and Coach Klieman, two men I’ve been fortunate to be around for quite some time,” Riley said. “This is something I have worked for my entire career, and to be able to have this opportunity at such a great institution such as K-State — one with great tradition — is humbling.”
K-State was in the market for a new offensive coordinator after Collin Klein left for Texas A&M last month.
The Wildcats turned to Wells to help replace him and tutor K-State quarterbacks, including Avery Johnson. Klieman and Wells became close friends when they were both hired as Big 12 head coaches in 2019, so it makes sense that they would unite on the same staff now that Wells is ready for his first full-time coaching gig since the Red Raiders fired him in 2021.
“I have known Matt for a very long time,” Klieman said, “and he is someone who will bring a lot to the table as a member of our staff – from head coaching experience to developing some of the top quarterbacks in the game. He will be a great addition to our offensive room and system, providing tremendous X’s and O’s experience as well as a recruiting prowess that mirrors our philosophy of identifying and developing talent.”
Wells has spent nine years as a head coach at the FBS level.
He led Utah State to a 44-34 record during six seasons in the Mountain West, highlighted by a 10-2 campaign in 2018 that featured current Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love throwing passes for the Aggies. Utah State finished third in the country in scoring that year, as the Aggies averaged 47.5 points per game.
Things didn’t work out for Wells at Texas Tech, as he went 13-17 in three seasons with the Red Raiders, but he is still viewed as a smart offensive mind who can help college quarterbacks reach their full potential.
He spent the past two seasons as an offensive analyst at Oklahoma.
“My family and I are so incredibly grateful for the opportunity that Coach Klieman has presented to us to be a part of the Wildcat staff and team,” Wells said. “This has been a model of a winning program with consistency and stability throughout his tenure at Kansas State. I look forward to us chasing championships together.”
This story was originally published January 4, 2024 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Kansas State Wildcats announce two changes to Chris Klieman’s football coaching staff."