Andy Kotelnicki is headed back to Kansas after two years at Penn State, KU announced on Friday morning..
His title will be associate head coach. He previously served as KU’s offensive coordinator from 2021 to 2023 and held the title of associate head coach beginning in December 2022.
Kotelnicki left for the Nittany Lions after the conclusion of the 2023 regular season and guided an offense to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but his time with Penn State went south this past season. Head coach James Franklin was fired after a 3-3 start. Kotelnicki remained through the season with the lame-duck staff and officially concluded his PSU tenure with the Pinstripe Bowl last season.
Meanwhile, KU coach Lance Leipold had then-quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski call plays in KU’s 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory, but ended up hiring Jeff Grimes as the offensive coordinator for 2024. Grimes left for Wisconsin after one disappointing season, and Leipold promoted Zebrowski as his replacement for 2025, a year in which the KU offense and quarterback Jalon Daniels displayed moments of brilliance but struggled towards the end of the season. Leipold also brought back Matt Lubick, who had played a key role in Kotelnicki’s offense as an analyst, for 2025 as the tight ends coach.
Now Kotelnicki himself is reportedly set to return to KU. He has coached with Leipold at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Buffalo at KU and will now embark on his second stint in Lawrence.
This story will be updated.
