12/1/2023 football Edit

Penn State officially tabs Andy Kotelnicki as next offensive coordinator

Dylan Callaghan-Croley • Happy Valley Insider

Editor

The Penn State football program has officially announced the hiring of Andy Kotelnicki as the program's next offensive coordinator, releasing a press release shortly after the Penn State Board of Trustees Subcommission on Compensation approved Kotelnicki's contract.

Note: The terms of his contract have not been released and are not expected to be released.

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"We are excited to welcome Andy, his wife, Lindsey, son, Maximus, and daughter, Joy, to Penn State," Penn State head football coach James Franklin said in a press release. "Our search process for an offensive coordinator was extensive and throughout it, Andy's name kept rising to the top of the list. Not only were we impressed with Andy's history of successful offensive production, but he has proven ability to win at all levels and play to the strength of his personnel. He has a track record of coming into a program and improving offenses, especially through explosive plays, third down conversions and red zone success. We are thrilled to have Andy and his family join us in Happy Valley."

Kotelnicki comes to Happy Valley after spending the past three seasons with the Kansas Jayhawks. It is also the first time in over a decade that he will not be paired with longtime mentor Lance Leipold.

READ: Deep Dive: A closer look at Andy Kotelnicki's offense

"I would like to thank Coach Franklin and Dr. Kraft for this incredible opportunity to join Penn State Football," Kotelnicki said in the press release. "It is a tremendous honor for me and my wife, Lindsey, to become part of a program with such a rich history of success and a tremendous family environment with an elite leader in Coach Franklin. I am excited to get to work with the tremendous staff and student-athletes we have at Penn State. I would also like to thank Coach Leipold, the coaching staff, and the student-athletes who I've had the wonderful opportunity to work with at Kansas, and wish them nothing but the best."

Before arriving in Kansas in 2021, the Kansa Jayhawks had one of the worst offenses in all of college football, averaging just 15.8 points in 2020. Within two seasons, the Jayhawks became one of the most explosive offenses in the country, averaging 35.6 points per game in 2022 and 33.6 points per game in 2023.

FROM YESTERDAY - Penn State Football to hire Kansas Andy Kotelnicki as Offensive Coordinator

James Franklin has his man.

According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, the Penn State football program is set to tab Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to lead the Nittany Lions offense. The hiring ends a multi-week search for the program's next offensive coordinator following the firing of Mike Yurcich on November 12, one day after Penn State fell to Michigan 24-15.

Kotelnicki comes to Happy Valley after spending the last three seasons with the Kansas Jayhawks, helping turn around the perennial Big 12 doormat into a high-quality program under the direction of head coach Lance Leipold. It also makes the first time that Kotelnicki will not be alongside Leipold since 2012.

The Wisconsin-River Falls alum has worked alongside Leipold since 2013, serving as his offensive coordinator at the Division III program Wisconsin-Whitewater, Buffalo, and Kansas.

Prior to Leipold and Kotelnicki's arrival in Lawrence, Kansas averaged just 15.8 points per game in 2020. In 2021, that number saw a slight tick up to 20.8 before exploding each of the last two seasons to 35.6 (2022) and 33.6 (2023).

Under Kotelnicki's guidance, the Jayhawks also saw the development of quarterback Jalon Daniels into one of the nation's top signal callers, being named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year prior to this season. Injuries would ultimately keep Daniels out for the majority of Kansas's season, which meant that backup quarterback Jason Bean would be trusted into the starting role.

The offense for the Jayhawks wouldn't miss much of a beat, as Bean put up solid numbers, completing 61.4% of his passes for 1,681 yards, 12 touchdowns, and throwing just four interceptions.

During his time in Buffalo, Kotelnicki also helped lead multiple top Group of Five scoring offenses which included averaging 43.4 points per game in 2020. With the Bulls, he developed quarterbacks Tyree Jackson and Kyle Vantrease. Jackson is currently in the NFL as a tight end while Vantrease had a small stint with the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On top of quarterback development, Kotelnicki's run-first system has also heavily featured strong running back development including Jaret Patterson during his time with Buffalo and Devin Neal over the last three seasons with Kansas.

According to the USA Today Assistant Coach Salary Database, Kotelnicki was making $1,000,000 with the Jayhawks this season. He is expected to receive a significant salary increase with the Nittany Lions. While the previous salary of Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yrucich was never disclosed, it was estimated that he was making similar or more than his salary at the University of Texas which was around $1,700,000.