MANHATTAN, Kan. – Conor Riley, a five-year member of the Kansas State football staff who directed the Wildcat offense during its recent bowl victory, has been promoted to offensive coordinator, while Matt Wells, a great offensive mind and developer of quarterback talent, has been hired as co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach/associate head coach, head coach Chris Klieman announced Thursday.
“As I have said before, Conor has been with me for more than a decade, and he is deserving of this opportunity,” Klieman said. “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.
“I have known Matt for a very long time, 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.”
Riley, one of the top offensive line coaches in the country, will continue to tutor the Wildcat offensive front as he has done the last five seasons where he has produced 15 All-Big 12 honorees, including the 2022 and 2023 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in Cooper Beebe. Riley was elevated to interim offensive coordinator for K-State’s bowl game, a 28-19 win over No. 18 NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Wildcats amassed 257 rushing yards and 435 total yards on a Wolfpack defense that entered bowl season ranking No. 16 and No. 25 in those categories, respectively. The Wildcats’ 257 rushing yards were the fourth most in their bowl history, while their 21 first-half points also tied for fourth.
“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. I look forward to the addition of Coach Wells, a person I greatly respect as a peer in coaching, but more important is the amount of respect I have for him as a man of character and integrity. I’m looking forward to continuing to build and move this offense forward with the entire staff.”
Wells, who boasts nine years of head coaching experience, comes to Manhattan after spending the last two seasons at Oklahoma as advisor to head coach/offensive analyst. Prior to that, he served as the head coach at his alma mater, Utah State, from 2013 through 2018 and at Texas Tech from 2019 to 2021. In addition to coaching quarterbacks during his 27-year coaching career, he has also spent time tutoring wide receivers and tight ends.
“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!”