Andy Kotelnicki - Football - Kansas Jayhawks

Andy Kotelnicki

TITLE Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator
PHONE 864-3392

Bio

Andy Kotelnicki joined Lance Leipold’s staff in May 2021 as offensive coordinator and was promoted to associate head coach for the Jayhawks in December 2022.

In his second season with the Jayhawks in 2022, Kotelnicki oversaw one of the prolific offensive attacks in school history. Kansas averaged 7.0 yards per play this season, ranking second nationally behind Ohio State (7.60). Kansas’ 7.0 yards per play also broke the program record of 6.40 set in 1950. Kansas had 41 plays of 31+ yards throughout the 2022 season, which ranked seventh nationally.

Kansas had posted six games of 500 yards or more of total offense, including 603 yards in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, which is a new Kansas bowl game record and the seventh most yards the Jayhawks have accounted for in any game. That is the best mark since the 2007 team posted seven such games in 13 contests. From 2018 to 2021, Kansas posted six games of 500 or more yards of total offense in 45 games. During that span, the Jayhawks topped the 500-yard mark twice against conference opponents. Tin 2022, Kansas topped the 500-yard mark against three conference opponents.

Kansas averaged 438.6 yards per game, which was the program’s second-best mark since 1950, behind only the 2007 team. The Jayhawks scored 63 total touchdowns, which is 27 more than any final tally over the past 10 seasons for the Jayhawks. Kansas also had the third most improved offense in the country in points per game, as compared to the 2021 season, while Kansas’ scoring offensive improved +14.8, which ranked second nationally behind only Washington.

The Kansas offense also ranked fourth in the country in team passing efficiency (164.26), eighth in third down conversion percentage (50.6%), 21st in scoring offense (35.6), and seventh in fewest sacks allowed (0.92 per game). Several key offensive players are having standout seasons under Kotelnicki’s guidance. Running back Devin Neal averaged 6.06 yards per carry, which is 24th in the country and third in the Big 12. Neal became the first Kansas running back since June Henley in 1996 to rush for at least 190 yards in back-to-back games after rushing for 224 yards against Oklahoma State and 190 yards against Texas Tech.

Kansas’ offense has also seen success with a duo of quarterbacks under center, as Jalon Daniels and Jason Bean combined to throw for 32 touchdowns to eight interceptions in 2022. Daniels passed for 18 touchdowns and 2,014 yards in 2022. Daniels’ 18 touchdowns are tied for the fifth most in a season in school history, while Bean’s 14 touchdown passes ties for eighth. Bean was also one of just five Power 5 quarterbacks in 2022 to have back-to-back games of 250 yards passing and four touchdown passes.

In his first season with the Jayhawks, Kansas saw marked improvements in several key offensive categories. The Jayhawks averaged 324.2 yards per game, after averaging 259.2 yards in 2020. The offensive line allowed just 16 sacks in 12 games after surrendering 47 in nine games the season before Kotelnicki arrived.

Additionally, the Kansas offense averaged 5.2 yards per play in Kotelnick’s first season at Kansas after the program averaged 3.7 yards per play in 2020. The Jayhawks also saw their 3rd down conversion percentage increase by 13 percent and its rushing yards per game total increase by more than 35 yards. Kansas also increased its points per game by five a contest and turned the ball over one less time in three more games.

Daniels also excelled under Kotelnicki during the coordinator’s first season on campus. Daniels led Kansas to a 57-56 overtime win at Texas in November, before starting the final two games – a pair of one-possession losses at TCU and against West Virginia. Daniels’ stats were much improved from his debut season of 2020. He threw seven touchdown passes in 2021 after tossing just one in 2020. He threw for 213 more yards and completed 19 percent more of his passes than he did the season before Kotelnicki arrived.

In his first season, Kotelnicki led the Jayhawks to a 530-yard performance at Duke and a 57-point performance in a win at Texas. The Jayhawks rushed for a season-best 218 yards against the Longhorns.

Before arriving at Kansas, Kotelnicki worked beside head coach Lance Leipold at Buffalo, where he directed some of the best offenses in school history.

Despite a shortened season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Buffalo offense still posted historic numbers while going 6-1. The Bulls averaged a school-record 478.4 yards of total offense per game and a school-record 287.4 yards per contest rushing. Buffalo ranked second in the nation in rushing offense (287.4) and fifth in the nation in scoring offense at 43.5 points per game.

Also in 2020, Buffalo rushed for 32 touchdowns, four shy of the school record for a single season in only seven games. Bulls All-American running back Jaret Patterson led the nation in rushing, averaging 178.7 yards per game. Against Kent State, the Bulls scored a school-record 70 points. Also against the Flashes, Patterson tied an FBS record with eight rushing touchdowns and rushed for 409 yards, the second most ever in an FBS game. He and Kevin Marks combined to rush for 515 yards, which, at the time, was the most ever by two players in an FBS game.

As a result of Buffalo’s successful 2020 season, Kotelnicki was named one of four finalists for the FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year Award. He was the only finalist from a non-Power 5 conference.

In 2019, Kotelnicki’s offense rushed for 3,256 yards, shattering the single-season school record. Patterson rushed for a school-record 1,799 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2019 and ranked fifth in the nation in rushing. Fellow Buffalo sophomore Kevin Marks rushed for 1,035 yards – marking the first time in school history UB had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.

Buffalo ranked 10th in the nation in rushing offense in 2019. In addition, the Bulls’ 36 rushing touchdowns tied the single-season school record.

Buffalo featured a record-breaking offense in 2018. The Bulls shattered the program record for single-season total offense posting 5,803 yards on the year. Buffalo scored 64 offensive touchdowns in 2018, which was also a school record.

Patterson became the first freshman in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, finishing with 1,013 yards en route to being named the MAC Freshman of the Year. Patterson scored 14 touchdowns and fellow running back Marks scored 13 touchdowns, marking the first time in school history two different players scored 13 or more touchdowns in the same season.

Quarterback Tyree Jackson was named the 2018 MAC Offensive Player of the Year – the first time in school history a Buffalo player won the award. In addition, seven offensive players were named All-MAC in 2018.

Buffalo’s offense made significant progress under Kotelnicki in 2017. The Bulls ranked second in the MAC in total offense, averaging 432 yards per game. Other notable numbers from the 2017 season included ranking sixth in the nation in most improved scoring offense; sixth in the nation in most improved passing offense; eighth in the nation in turnovers lost; third in the MAC in points per possession; second in the MAC in fewest 3-and-outs; third in MAC in total offense and first in the MAC in third down conversion percentage.

In 2016, the Bulls had three offensive players named All-MAC, including tight end Mason Schreck (2nd team), running back Jordan Johnson (3rd team) and center James O’Hagan (3rd team). Redshirt-freshman quarterback Jackson threw for 1,772 yards – the most ever by a Buffalo freshman quarterback. Jackson also became the first freshman quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game (he did it twice).

In 2015, the Bulls averaged 249.5 passing yards and 136.9 rushing yards per game. Also the quarterbacks coach, Kotelnicki oversaw a passing game that had 283 pass completions – the second most in school history for a single season. The Bulls’ 23.6 completions per game were the most ever at UB.

Prior to Buffalo, Kotelnicki spent two seasons at Wisconsin-Whitewater as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

At UWW, Kotelnicki led an offense that led the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in scoring offense (40.1), rushing offense (218.2) and passing offense (269.5) in 2014 en route to a perfect 15-0 season and the programs’ sixth Stagg Bowl national championship in eight seasons.

The Warhawks featured one of the most efficient offensive attacks in the nation under Kotelnicki’s leadership in 2013. Whitewater led the WIAC and ranked among the top five in the nation in first downs (311), interceptions allowed (1) and turnover margin (+2.3).

The Warhawks offense also led the conference in red zone offense, converting scores on 85.9 percent of drives inside the 20-yard line, and set single-season team records in passes completed (312) and passing touchdowns (42) in 2013.

Prior to Whitewater, Kotelnicki served as offensive coordinator at the University of Mary, an NCAA Division II school in Bismarck, N.D., for two seasons. In his first year as coordinator, the Marauders scored over 10 points per game more than the previous season and led the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in scoring offense, total offense and passing efficiency. During his tenure, Kotelnicki mentored nine All-NSIC North Division honorees, the sixth 1,000-yard rusher in the school’s history and an All-America wide receiver.

Kotelnicki spent six seasons as an assistant coach at UW-River Falls, including four as offensive coordinator, in 2003 and from 2006-10. The Falcons set 24 offensive school records during his second stint, and he was promoted to assistant head coach for the 2010 campaign.

Kotelnicki worked at Western Illinois, where he coached tight ends, special teams and the offensive line, from 2004-06. He was also an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2004-05 and the interim strength and conditioning coach in 2006.

After earning a bachelor’s in exercise and sport science from UW-River Falls in 2004, Kotelnicki picked up a master’s in kinesiology from Western Illinois in 2006. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association.

Kotelnicki and his wife, Lindsey, have a son, Max, and daughter, Joy.

The Kotelnicki File
Alma Mater: Wisconsin-River Falls, 2004
Wife: Lindsey
Children: Maximus and Joy

Coaching Experience 
YearsUniversityRole
2021-PresentKansasOffensive Coordinator
2015-2021BuffaloOffensive Coordinator
2013-14Wisconsin-Whitewater Offensive Coordinator
2011-12University of MaryOffensive Coordinator
2006-10Wisconsin-River FallsOffensive Coordinator/Assistant Coach
2004-05Western IllinoisAssistant Coach
Football 🎙 Jayhawker Podcast: Andy Kotelnicki and Chandler Gibbens

Today on the Jayhawker Podcast, we’re talking with Kansas Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and the captain of the Kansas Men’s Cross Country team Chandler Gibbens.