Why Kansas Bringing Back Andy Kotelnicki is the Right Move at the Right Time

Former Kansas football offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will soon be back in crimson and blue as it was announced Friday that he is returning to KU as associate head coach.

He and head coach Lance Leipold share a long history working together with Kotelnicki serving as offensive coordinator under Leipold for 11 seasons between stops at Kansas (2021-23), Buffalo (2015-20), and Wisconsin-Whitewater (2013-14).

"I care deeply about the University of Kansas, and my family and I are thrilled to be back at a university that has been so good to us" Kotelnicki said. "Working alongside Coach Leipold has been one of the highlights of my career, and I'm excited to rejoin him and the entire staff at KU. I'm very grateful to Coach, Athletic Director Travis Goff and Chancellor Doug Girod for welcoming us back. I can't wait to get to work."

Kotelnicki recently spent the past two seasons in Happy Valley as offensive coordinator for Penn State under James Franklin who was fired back in October after the Nittany Lions got off to a 3-3 start to the 2025-26 season.

After that, chatter began swirling among Kansas fans wondering if Kotelnicki would return to Lawrence, and now it’s come to fruition at a time when KU desperately needed a jolt in the program.

Previous success at Kansas

Kotelnicki helped establish KU as one of the most improved, productive, and innovative offenses in college football during his three years in Lawrence.

In his first season in 2021, the offense saw improvements in a number of categories as the team averaged 324.2 yards per game after averaging just 259.2 yards the year before. The offensive line also gave up just 16 sacks in his first year compared to the 47 sacks surrendered in nine games in 2020 and the offense increased its average yards per play from 3.7 to 5.2.

In his second season in Lawrence, Kotelnicki oversaw an offense that averaged 7.0 yards per play – second to only Ohio State (7.60). The Jayhawks also had 41 plays of more than 31 yards throughout the 2022 season, which ranked seventh in college football.

Kotelnicki played a hand in the development of several key players on offense including quarterbacks Jalon Daniels and Jason Bean, running back Devin Neal, and offensive lineman Dominick Puni who was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

What his return means for KU

Having Kotelnicki back in Lawrence is massive for the program.

The offense regressed after he left for Penn State and it’s a big reason why KU didn’t reach the postseason these past two years. Having a voice back in the building that Leipold knows and trusts should help turn things around for this KU offense and mitigate a lot of the poor play calling and lack of aggressiveness that we’ve seen the past couple seasons.

His steady hand will also be critical for a team that will be starting over on offense after the departure of Daniels and the loss of several skill position players to the transfer portal this offseason. He’s shown he can develop talent and KU needs that now more than ever with the roster turnover happening across college football each year.

It’s also possible that Kotelnicki’s return could set himself up to be the next head coach at Kansas. Should Leipold leave for whatever reason, Kotelnicki’s name would instantly rise to the top of the search list if he can help replicate the success KU had during his first tenure a few years ago.

Regardless of what happens in the future, this move is one that should immediately help KU as they look to bounce back and avoid a third straight season without a postseason appearance.