Kansas State football won't retain Matt Wells, other assistant coaches
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
MANHATTAN — New coach Collin Klein will not retain Kansas State football offensive coordinator Matt Wells as he begins to build his new coaching staff.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the departure, a move expected after Klein was named the program’s next head coach on Dec. 4. Many questioned whether Chris Klieman would retain Wells, who announced his retirement on Dec. 2.
On3’s Pete Nakos, in another report, added running backs coach Brian Anderson, wide receivers coach Matthew Middleton, cornerback coach Van Malone, defensive tackles coach Mike Tuiasosopo and tight ends coach Luke Wells are among the others who won’t be retained.
Wells took a lot of heat for the Wildcats’ offensive struggles throughout the 2025 season, his first as the sole coordinator after Conor Riley left the program to become the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line coach after the 2024 season.
Wells arrived in Manhattan in 2024, becoming the associate head coach and quarterbacks coach in addition to his coordinator role. He replaced Klein, who left K-State to become Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator.
Since Klein’s departure, Kansas State‘s offensive output has decreased each season. It went from averaging 445.2 yards and 37.1 points per game in 2023 to averaging 370.1 yards and 29.4 points per game in 2025.
The 2025 season marked the first time since 2021 in which the Wildcats averaged fewer than 200 rushing yards per game.
Injuries at wide receiver and on the offensive line, along with the uncertainty around the running back position after Dylan Edwards’ injury before taking his first offensive snap, didn’t help matters, but Klein is apparently cleaning house. Baylor is expected to hire defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman to the same position.
Wells came to Manhattan after spending time on Brent Venables’ Oklahoma staff as an offensive analyst. It followed three years as the head coach at Texas Tech. His most successful coaching stint came during his six seasons as head coach at Utah State, where he was praised for developing current Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
Wells was paid $900,000 in 2025, an increase from the $537,000 he made in 2024 when sharing coordinator duties. According to the USA TODAY Assistant Coaches Salary Database, a $900,000 salary would have ranked among the highest for a coordinator in the Big 12, only behind Utah’s Andy Ludwig (who stepped down in 2024) and Morgan Scalley, Iowa State‘s Jon Heacock, Texas Tech’s Tim DeRuyter (who was fired after the 2024 season) and Oklahoma State’s Kasey Dunn (who was fired after the 2024 season).
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football parts ways with Matt Wells, others
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos