ORLANDO, Fla. — Ask Kansas State football center Hayden Gillum what makes Conor Riley an effective coach and he doesn't hesitate.

"I think no matter where you have coach Riley, if he's the head coach or being an equipment manager, he's going to give his all, and that's something that we know we'll get with him as coordinator," Gillum said of Riley, his position coach for the past five years, but this week also the Wildcats' interim offensive coordinator when they take on North Carolina State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. "He is always 100% devoted.

"He's going to give everything he has. He's going to pour everything into it. I think I've seen his car up at the complex just nonstop the whole time, so we know he'll do a great job and we have a lot of faith in him."

And it is not just Gillum and a veteran offensive line that believes in Riley. When offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Collin Klein left a couple of weeks ago for a similar position at Texas A&M, head coach Chris Klieman quickly turned to his most senior assistant.

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"Conor has been around me the longest, dating back to our days as assistants together," said Klieman, who five years ago brought Riley with him from North Dakota State, where they were part of multiple FCS national championships. "And I feel it's his opportunity to be out in front of the guys because he's out in front of the guys anyway from an o-line run game standpoint.

"Now I'm excited for him to get out in front of the group as a leader for these two weeks."

Riley spent six years at North Dakota State, the last five under Klieman before joining him in Manhattan in December 2018. And now he is ready to take on a new role, at the very least through the bowl game, which kicks off at 4:45 p.m. (CT) Thursday at Camping World Stadium.

"There's certainly been some challenges," said Riley, who typically has been on the sideline with his linemen during games, but now will move upstairs to the coaches' booth as the play-caller. "Coach (Klieman) has done a phenomenal job even before we really dove into this week's opponent, of doing some good-on-good (starters vs. starters). I think (he) laughed as I had to climb a ladder, very reluctantly, to call a game or call a situation from our film booth in the indoor facility.

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"This is a moment that I've been preparing for my entire career, and there's still a whole difference between your preparation and then getting out and doing it. But over these past few weeks, we've had those opportunities of what we'd call a call-it session."

Riley also has spent quality time with true freshman quarterback Avery Johnson, who will make his first career start in the bowl game. Like Riley, Johnson was thrust into a new role when senior Will Howard entered the transfer portal.

Johnson, who was especially close to Klein as both his position coach and offensive coordinator, has been impressed both by Riley's enthusiasm and his transition into the job.

"I don't think a lot of people give him a lot of credit for what he's capable of," Johnson said. "And we've seen it, just how we've been preparing for the week. He knows his stuff.

"He knows what he's talking about, and he communicates with everybody on staff. He communicates with me to see what I like and what I don't like, and just the enthusiasm he brings to practice and things like that. He's just happy to be here, and happy to be in the position he is."

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Klieman, who promoted Klein to full-time offensive coordinator two years ago after a successful interim stint in the Texas Bowl, made no bones about treating this as an audition of sorts for Riley.

"I have to. Absolutely I have to," Klieman said. "I sit in the offensive and defensive room pretty equally split, and I think the misnomer out there that people have is the offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator makes every decision with little input, and everybody just kind of delegates with the coordinators.

"The conversations that go on in both rooms, there's a lot of guys in both rooms — and I think (defensive coordinator Joe) Klanderman would tell you this, and I think CK (Klein) would tell you this — that could call the game. So, there's tons of conversations that I hear great banter back and forth, creating game plans for both offense and defense."

In addition to the support Klieman and his players, Riley said he has turned to coaching colleagues for both tips and encouragement.

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"There's actually been quite a few, and one of them is one of my best friends, and that's Collin Klein," Riley said. "And the support that he has shown me and the reassurance that he has shown me for this opportunity has been nothing short of fantastic.

"But between coach Klieman, who I've been with for 10 years, and coaches that I've crossed paths with in the past, including my own college football coach, who's 73 years old, I have leaned on a few of the people in the business that I respect."

And what words of wisdom did his former coach at Nebraska-Omaha offer up?

"His advice was a little more blunt," Riley said with a smile. "He said, 'Don't screw it up.'

"He used a different word, but I love him."

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football assistant Conor Riley embraces new role