The West Virginia Mountaineers continue their search for their next football coach, but they might be getting closer, with a familiar name to Big 12 fans.
According to WV Sports Now, Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is a finalist for the job with the Mountaineers. Both WVU and Penn State sources told WV Sports Now that Kotelnicki has “always been a strong candidate for West Virginia director of athletics Wren Baker.” Kotelnicki was the first official candidate shortly after the program fired Neal Brown.
Kotelnicki is no stranger to the Big 12. Before he got to State College, he was the offensive coordinator under Lance Leipold with the Kansas Jayhawks.
Penn State ranks second in the Big Ten Conference in yards per game and is fourth in the Big Ten in points per game. The Nittany Lions are also second in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game. Penn State is playing in Saturday night’s Big Ten Championship against Oregon, with a bye in the College Football Playoff on the line.
Kotelnicki had worked under Lance Leipold since 2013, and followed him to three different stops along the way, beginning at Wisconsin-White Water for two seasons, at Buffalo for six seasons, and in Lawrence over the last three years.
His final season with the Jayhawks might’ve been his best, as Kotelnicki helped coordinate a Kansas offense that ranked No. 30 in scoring (33.6 ppg), No. 9 in rushing (211.33 ypg), No. 29 in total offense (434 ypg) and No. 8 yards per play (7.01 ypp).
Kotelnicki was born and raised in Litchfield, Minnesota and attended Litchfield High School. He played college football at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he was a team captain as a senior. He is 43 years old.
