Before electing to hire Jacksonville State’s Rich Rodriguez back to Morgantown in 2024, one of the biggest names associated with the West Virginia opening was Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
During the interview process, Kotelnicki elected to pull his name out of the running in an effort to stay with Penn State.
On Monday, he pulled back the curtain on the decision to turn down the opening in a press conference ahead of the Nittany Lions’ playoff game vs. No. 10 SMU.
“Just what’s going on here,” Kotelnicki said. “I enjoy, first and foremost, the players I get to coach on a daily basis. Working with Coach Franklin has been awesome, and the offensive staff I work with is elite. Just a really easy decision, quite candidly.”
Sources say another key factor in the decision to stay came from the Nittany Lions’ position in the College Football Playoff. One hold-up in the potential change came down to Kotelnicki not wanting to leave the program in the middle of the playoff run until the true end of their season, whether they are eliminated or win the National Championship.
Kotelnicki announced his decision to return to Penn State on X (formerly Twitter) back on December 9th.
“Beyond lucky to be a part of the Penn State Football Family,” Kotelnicki said. “Still a lot to accomplish this season, and I am looking forward to what 2025 has in store for our program!”
The move would have signaled a Big 12 reunion for Kotelnicki after one season in the Big Ten, as the Penn State coach spent the previous 10 seasons on staff with Lance Leipold. Kotelnicki worked with Leipold at each of his head coaching stops, including Wisconsin-White Water, Buffalo, and Kansas.
With Kotelnicki out of the picture, Wren Baker made the decision to bring Rodriguez back to Morgantown for a second stint.
West Virginia takes the field next on Tuesday, December 17th, in the Frisco Bowl vs. No. 25 Memphis.
