Kansas State hired former Texas Tech coach Matt Wells on Thursday to join offensive line coach Conor Riley as the Wildcats' co-offensive coordinators following the departure of Collin Klein for the same job at Texas A&M.
Wells spent the past two seasons at Oklahoma as an offensive analyst and advisor to Sooners coach Brent Venables. But he is most well known for coaching his alma mater, Utah State, for six seasons and the Red Raiders for three seasons.
“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,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “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.”
Wells played quarterback at Utah State and is considered one of the game's top offensive minds. Most of his success came with the Aggies, which he led to four bowl games and two 10-win seasons. He went 13-17 in three seasons at Texas Tech.
“My family and I are so incredibly grateful for the opportunity that Coach Klieman has presented to us," Wells said in a statement. “This has been a model of a winning program with consistency and stability throughout his tenure at Kansas State.”
Wells was brought on to provide some fresh ideas, along with tutoring Avery Johnson, who is expected to start at quarterback next season. The five-star prospect spent most of the season playing behind Will Howard, who chose to enter the transfer portal before the Wildcats' bowl game, where Johnson stepped in to lead them to a 28-19 victory over North Carolina State.
While Wells will handle quarterbacks and be the associate head coach, Riley will continue to handle the offensive line, where he's earned a reputation as one of the best in the game. Riley had served as the coordinator for the Wildcat's bowl game.
“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.”
