Andy Kotelnicki - Associate Head Coach - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Andy Kotelnicki

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
Phone:
864-3392

Bio

Andy Kotelnicki rejoined the Kansas football staff in January of 2026 as the associate head coach with over 21 years of coaching experience, including 19 years as an offensive coordinator.

Kotelnicki rejoins the Jayhawks, where he served as offensive coordinator in 2021-22 and associate head coach/offensive coordinator in 2023. Kotelnicki and Kansas head coach Lance Leipold worked together for 11 seasons at Kansas, Buffalo and UW-Whitewater and led some of the most historic offenses in Kansas football history.

Kotelnicki spent the past two seasons at Penn State, leading the Nittany Lions to two wins in the 2024 College Football Playoff, including the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and a victory in the 2025 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. Under his direction, the Nittany Lions consistently ranked among the Big Ten’s top offenses, leading the country in first downs offense (367) and explosive plays of over 10 yards (253) in 2024.

The 2023 247Sports Offensive Coordinator of the Year while at Kansas, Kotelnicki led a KU offense ranking seventh in the nation in yards per completion (14.8), eighth in yards per play (7.0), rushing (211.3), yards per rush (5.51) and explosive play percentage (17.2), and ninth in first down efficiency percentage (56.4) and rushing touchdowns per game (2.5).

In 2022, Kotelnicki oversaw one of the prolific offensive attacks in KU 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.

Kotelnicki helped Kansas to back-to-back bowl appearances for just the second time in school history, including appearances in the 2022 AutoZone Liberty Bowl and the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

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.

Prior to his arrival at Kansas, Kotelnicki directed some of the best offenses in school history at the University of Buffalo.

In 2020, where Kotelnicki was named one of four finalists for the FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year Award, the Bulls went 6-1 and averaged school records of 478.4 yards of total offense and 287.4 rushing yards per contest. UB ranked second in the nation in rushing (287.4) and fifth in scoring at 43.5 points per game, while its 32 rushing touchdowns were four shy of the school record in only seven games played.

Bulls All-American running back Jaret Patterson led the nation in rushing, averaging 178.7 yards per game in 2020. Against Kent State, he tied an FBS record with eight rushing touchdowns and rushed for 409 yards, the second most in FBS history.

In 2019, the Buffalo offense under Kotelnicki ranked 10th in the nation in rushing, tallying 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, while 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 featured a record-breaking offense in 2018, setting single-season school records for total offense (5,803 yards) and offensive touchdowns (64) with quarterback Tyree Jackson being name the 2018 MAC Offensive Player of the Year – the first time in school history a Buffalo player won the award.

Patterson was named the named the MAC Freshman of the Year, scoring 14 touchdowns and Marks scoring 13, marking the first time in school history two different players scored 13 or more touchdowns in the same season.

Buffalo's offense made significant progress under Kotelnicki in 2017, ranking sixth in the nation in most improved scoring offense, sixth in most improved passing offense and eighth in fewest turnovers.

Prior to Buffalo, Kotelnicki spent two seasons at Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he won two national championships and went 30-0 overall as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

The Warhawks led the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in scoring (40.1), rushing (218.2) and passing (269.5) in 2014 and paced the WIAC and ranked among the top five in the nation in first downs (311), interceptions allowed (1) and turnover margin (+2.3) in 2013.
Prior to Whitewater, Kotelnicki served as offensive coordinator at the University of Mary, an NCAA Division II school in Bismarck, North Dakota, for two seasons. In his first year as coordinator, the Marauders scored more than 10 points per game more than the previous season and led the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in scoring offense, total offense and passing efficiency.

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
Years	University	Role
2021-Present	Kansas	Offensive Coordinator
2015-2021	Buffalo	Offensive Coordinator
2013-14	Wisconsin-Whitewater	Offensive Coordinator
2011-12	University of Mary	Offensive Coordinator
2006-10	Wisconsin-River Falls	Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Coach
2004-05	Western Illinois	Assistant Coach