Penn State in danger of losing offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to a longtime rival
By Josh Yourish
Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has accomplished quite a lot in his first year in Happy Valley. He turned a struggling offense around after a lackluster 2023 under former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and most importantly he helped junior quarterback Drew Allar take a huge step forward.
Thanks largely to Kotelnicki’s creativity on the offensive side of the ball, Penn State is heading to the Big Ten Championship game against No. 1 Oregon this weekend and is on the cusp of its first College Football Playoff appearance in program history. That has made Kotelnicki, who James Franklin poached from Lance Leipold and Kansas last offseason, one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel this year, and he’s emerged as a candidate in Morgantown.
After finishing 6-6 in 2024, West Virginia has decided to move on from head coach Neal Brown after six seasons leading the Mountaineers, and only two with a winning record. Brown was fired on Sunday following a 52-15 loss to Texas Tech to end the year.
The program is likely to cast a wide net in its coaching search, and names like Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher, two West Virginia natives with national titles on their resumes, have been floated throughout the media. However, Mike Asti of WV Sports Now has reported that Kotelnicki is expected to interview for the job.
Penn State can’t afford to lose Kotelnicki, yet
When Franklin hired one of the most up-and-coming offensive minds in the sport, the expectation was that Kotelnicki wouldn’t be in town long before taking a head coaching job elsewhere. Still, one year is a bit sooner than expected and the Nittany Lions can’t afford to lose their offensive play-caller just yet.
Not only will Kotelnicki’s creativity, which has not only unlocked Allar but allowed tight end Tyler Warren to flourish as an under-the-radar Heisman Trophy candidate, be necessary for a run through the 12-team CFP, but his presence will be important for keeping Allar from fleeing for the NFL.
As a former five-star recruit with prototypical NFL size, Allar has emerged as a potential first or second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, if he declares. At this point, the expectation is that he will return for his senior season, however, if he knows that the play-caller who got the best out of him will be elsewhere, it could be time to test the draft waters instead of risking regression while learning a third different offense in four years.
Penn State is undeniably a national title contender this season, but the Nittany Lions are likely a tier below the top teams in the country, Oregon, Texas, and Georgia. The glaring lack of talent at wide receiver is one of the biggest reasons why. If Penn State has a full offseason with Kotelnicki and Allar in tow, it will be incredibly attractive to wide receivers in the transfer portal who could give Frankin’s team the firepower it needs to win it all.
Penn State could enter next season with CFP experience, one of the best veteran quarterbacks in the country, and an offense loaded with weapons. The plan seems foolproof, but Kotelnicki is the key, and if he leaves for West Virginia, the first team he helped Penn State beat, it all falls apart.