Andy Kotelnicki Returns to Kansas: A Familiar Face, A Fresh Start, and a Chance to Reignite the Jayhawks' Offense
LAWRENCE - Andy Kotelnicki had options. Real ones.
The kind of job offers that make you pause, take a long walk, and weigh what really matters. But in the end, he didn’t need a brand-new destination - he just needed the right one.
And for Kotelnicki, that meant coming back to Kansas.
After two seasons as Penn State’s offensive coordinator - a tenure that ended when the Nittany Lions parted ways with head coach James Franklin - Kotelnicki is returning to Lawrence as associate head coach under Lance Leipold. Same title he held before, but a new chapter in a program he knows well.
“We had some opportunities,” Kotelnicki said. “It’s really flattering the number of people I got to talk to and interest that I received. I had to actually sit down and say to myself, ‘What do I want?’”
That question led him back to Kansas - not because he didn’t have other options, but because this one checked every box.
Sources close to the situation confirmed Kotelnicki was in the mix for high-profile roles, including offensive coordinator at Stanford and a co-OC spot at Alabama - yes, that Alabama. But when he laid out what mattered most - family, quality of life, and the ability to make a real impact - Kansas stood out.
“This is the place that checked all those boxes in spades,” he said. “I’m very excited to be back.”
And make no mistake, this isn’t just a sentimental reunion. Kotelnicki will be calling plays again, even if he won’t carry the official title of offensive coordinator. That role now belongs to Jim Zebrowski, who’s shifting into a new position as KU’s passing game coordinator and will continue working closely with the quarterbacks.
The Kotelnicki-Zebrowski partnership is a strong one - built on years of collaboration and mutual respect. And according to Kotelnicki, getting back into rhythm with Zebrowski was seamless.
“It was like riding a bike,” he said. “Jim brings out the best in me, and I think I bring out the best in him. We complement each other so well - his style, my style, the way we bounce ideas back and forth.”
There’s plenty for Kotelnicki to be excited about beyond the coaching staff. Kansas football looks different than it did when he left in December 2023 - and not just on the field. The university’s Gateway Project is in full swing, and the renovations to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium are turning heads.
Kotelnicki didn’t hold back when describing the upgraded facilities: “A top-10 facility in the country,” he said.
But beyond the bricks and mortar, there’s unfinished business on the field. Kansas finished the 2025 season at 5-7, missing out on a bowl game for the second year in a row. The Jayhawks haven’t made the postseason since Kotelnicki’s last season with the team - a year when the offense ranked among the nation’s best, even while juggling three different quarterbacks due to injuries.
Now, he’s back with a chance to restore that offensive spark - and maybe do even more.
Head coach Lance Leipold sees Kotelnicki’s return as a sign of how far the program has come.
“The thing that I’m excited about with Andy is that people want to come back to Kansas,” Leipold said. “We walked into a program where people couldn’t wait to get out of here fast enough.
We’ve changed the expectations in this program. And now they’re harder to match - and we will match them.”
For Kotelnicki, this is also a shot at personal redemption. His time at Penn State ended on a sour note - a season after making the College Football Playoff, the Nittany Lions’ offense sputtered to a No. 83 national ranking in total offense. That’s a steep drop from No. 26 the year before.
But he’s not dwelling on that. And neither is Kansas.
The focus now is on what’s next - and what’s possible. Kotelnicki has long-term goals, sure.
He’s talked openly about wanting to be a head coach someday. But for now, he’s locked in on the job in front of him.
“It’s a goal of mine,” he said. “But I’ve learned that fit and timing and being in the right spot is the most important thing - not your title.”
Right now, the right spot is Lawrence. And for a Kansas program looking to take the next step, Kotelnicki’s return could be exactly the boost they need.