Breaking: Big-12 Assistant Coach to Be Named as Next Offensive Coordinator by Penn State Football
For the 2024 season, Penn State Football is expected to undergo a significant coaching transition. The Nittany Lions plan to hire Andy Kotelnicki of the Kansas Jayhawks as their new offensive coordinator, according to Bruce Feldman of the Athletic.
SOURCE: The next offensive coordinator at Penn State is anticipated to be Andy Kotelnicki of Kansas.
After an embarrassing 24–15 home loss to the Michigan Wolverines this season, Penn State fired former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich in November. Yurchich spent a year as the Texas Longhorns offensive coordinator before joining Penn State as their playcaller in 2021.
After playing center field for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls from 2001 to 2003, Andy Kotelnicki turned to coaching right away. Before going back to River Falls to take up the position of offensive coordinator, he began his career with Western Illinois in 2004 as an offensive assistant. He worked for his former school for four seasons before accepting the same role at the University of Mary from 2011 to 2013. Kotelnicki obtained his first Division I play-calling position with the Buffalo after a brief stint at Wisconsin-Whitewater with the same position.
Under Kotelnicki, the Buffalo offense struggled in his first three seasons before making huge gains in 2018. The Bulls had the 29th-best point total in the NCAA with 34.6 points per game. Tyree Jackson, the quarterback, had an amazing 14 games, throwing for 3,131 yards and 28 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. On the ground, he added seven more scores. The season after, Buffalo scored more than thirty points per game even without Jackson.
This time, running back Jaret Patterson rushed for a conference-high 1,799 yards as Kotelnicki placed a strong emphasis on the run game. During the shortened COVID-19 season, Buffalo had its best season under Kotelnicki, averaging an absurd 43.4 points per game in 2020. In just seven games, Paterson and fellow running back Kevin Marks almost amassed 2,000 rushing yards combined.
During his three seasons with the Kansas Jayhawks, Andy Kotelnicki has improved their football program, which is typically mediocre. The Jayhawks won six games in 2022, nearly doubling their average points per game after a one-win campaign in 2021. Running back Devin Neal surpassed 1,000 yards rushing, while quarterbacks Jalon Daniels and Jason Bean combined for 32 touchdowns against eight interceptions. For the first time since they finished 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl in 2007, Kansas scored more than 35 points per game in a season in 2022. In 2023, Kotelnicki received consistent output from Bean, Daniels, and Neal once more. With an average of 33.6 points per game going into bowl season, the Jayhawks rank 30th in college football.
In order to unlock Drew Allar, the sophomore quarterback, and his next evolution, James Franklin will look to Kotelnicki. This season, the 19-year-old ran for four touchdowns and completed 23 touchdown passes against just one pick. He performed poorly in crucial games, such as his team’s defeats to Michigan and Ohio State, where he completed just 28 of 65 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns. These impressive surface stats belied his struggles. Penn State supporters took issue with former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich’s lack of aggressiveness and play-calling sequencing, as well as the completion percentage and yards per attempt. In 2021, Allar became a top prospect at Penn State.
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Texas football is back in the Big 12 Championship game following their most successful season in a long time. They haven’t participated in the game since 2018. The Longhorns’ season has been almost perfect, but their record is marred by a defeat to an Oklahoman university. That squad did not advance to the Big 12 Championship, but the other Sooner State powerhouse did.
Texas and Oklahoma State will square off in the Big 12 Championship game, which is crucial for both teams. This is how to watch and what you should know about Saturday’s match between
Many have declared that the esteemed football program is finally returning to its former ways after the Texas season. To validate those theories, though, they must prevail in the Big 12. They also have to win this game in order to maintain their hopes of making the College Football Playoffs.
Thankfully for Texans, the Longhorns are playing at their highest level of intensity yet this season. Even though they had defeated prestigious universities like Alabama and TCU earlier in the season, their most convincing victory of the year came last week. Texas Tech lost to Texas 57–7. The team will undoubtedly have the extra drive and self-assurance needed after the decisive victory to win their biggest game in years on Saturday.
Quinn Ewers is the head of the Longhorns. The former number-one recruit has settled into Texas, throwing for 2,709 yards and 17 touchdowns so far this season. Not only is Xavier Worthy his top target, but he also ranks among the country’s top receivers. Worthy has five touchdowns and 918 receiving yards.
Furthermore, Jonathan Brooks, a superb running back from Texas, is a valuable asset. Although it was not an easy task to replace Bijan Robinson, Brooks has done a fantastic job of it with 1,425 yards from scrimmage.
Texas has made the second-most Big 12 Championship appearances (six) and wins (three), but in recent years, those moments have been few and far between. The game is among the biggest in program history as a result. A victory would also go a long way toward guaranteeing the team a spot in the College Football Playoff and giving them the confidence they need to win it all. Still, Oklahoma State won’t be an easy opponent.
Texas has won three Big 12 Championships, but Oklahoma State has never prevailed in the conference’s championship match. They have actually only once advanced to the Big 12 Championship, and that was in 2021. Even though Mike Gundy’s team is the underdog, nobody would write them off because they always play hard. Oklahoma State can compete with anyone and always plays to the level of their opponents.
Arguably, Oklahoma State boasts the best running back in the entire country. Ollie Gordon’s ridiculously impressive 1,852 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage make him the favorite to win the Doak Walker Award. Walker also benefits from the greatest interior offensive line in the nation.
The running game of the Cowboys has left everyone stumped. However, Oklahoma State hasn’t yet encountered a beast like Texas’ front seven. T’Vondre Sweat is a major reason why Texas’ rushing defense is ranked fourth. Texas’s rush average is limited to 2.93 yards.
Throughout the season, Oklahoma State’s rushing attack has been their strongest suit, but Texas has done well at stopping the run. But in this game, something has to give, and whichever way things end, the College Football Playoff will be greatly impacted.
