NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Nov. 30—Penn State is expected to hire Kansas assistant coach Andy Kotelnicki as its new offensive coordinator, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported Thursday.
Kotelnicki has worked for Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold since 2013, first at Division III power Wisconsin-Whitewater and then at Buffalo before he joined the Kansas staff when Leipold was hired in 2021.
He replaces Mike Yurcich, who was fired by Nittany Lions coach James Franklin the day after a 24-15 loss to No. 2 Michigan three weeks ago. Yurcich had mixed results in three seasons at Penn State.
Franklin was asked last week what qualities he was looking for in his new offensive coordinator.
“It’s really the same factors,” he said. “It’s who’s gonna be great on third down and who’s got the data to back up explosive plays. In college football nowadays to be able to just go 4 yards a play is hard to do all the way down the field.
“A big one is data and information based on the people who have been able to score against their best competition, the best competition in whatever leagues they come from. I think that’s an important piece of this as well.”
The Lions struggled miserably on offense in a 20-12 loss to Ohio State and a 24-15 defeat to Michigan. They gained just 240 yards against the Buckeyes and 238 against the Wolverines. They scored just three touchdowns in those games, their only losses.
“We gotta make sure that we put ourselves in the best position based on the teams we need to beat,” Franklin said, “and to be able to do that and to have the data and the evidence to back that up. And the experience to back it up.”
The 41-year-old Kotelnicki is a native of Minnesota who played center at Wisconsin-River Falls, where he was a team captain and a student coach. He was an assistant coach at Western Illinois and then served as offensive coordinator at his alma…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-reportedly-hiring-kansas-045000942.html
Author : Reading Eagle, Pa.
Publish date : 2023-12-01 04:50:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
