How 2 Kansas football standouts reacted to the news Andy Kotelnicki left for Penn State

LAWRENCE — There’s been a lot that’s happened in recent days for the Kansas football program.

Part of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is being demolished as its renovation continues. Senior safety Kenny Logan Jr. accepted an invitation to participate in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl. And junior cornerback Mello Dotson, one part of a duo with junior cornerback Cobee Bryant, announced he would return to the Jayhawks in 2024.

There were also a couple of departures to the transfer portal in redshirt sophomore wide receiver Tanaka Scott and redshirt sophomore tight end Will Huggins, who revealed their decisions publicly. Kansas earned a commitment of its own through the transfer portal in DeShawn Hanika, a tight end from Iowa State. And the Jayhawks announced the hire of Jeff Grimes as their new assistant head coach/offensive coordinator.

But the reason that latter news occurred is because Andy Kotelnicki, Kansas’ associate head coach/offensive coordinator this fall, departed after the regular season ended to be the offensive coordinator at Penn State. It caused some uncertainty about what’s next for the Jayhawks, with bowl prep looming. When Kansas learned it would play in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, prior to Grimes’ hire, a couple of Jayhawks standouts shared their reactions to the news.

“I was happy for him, but at the end of the day I understand and this thing’s going to keep moving regardless, with him or without him,” junior running back Devin Neal said earlier this month. “So, we’re still excited just to keep things the main thing and I have full confidence in our coaching staff that we’re going to have the right game plan going into this game and the future is going to be all right, too.”

Senior tight end Mason Fairchild, also happy for Kotelnicki, added: “We have full confidence in (co-offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski). We still have everyone in the building still that — aside from him. But we’re fully confident. Coach Z, obviously you know that he brings great energy. He’s a fun guy to be around. So, I think the offense is still going to continue to be fun.”

Kotelnicki had been at Kansas since 2021, following head coach Lance Leipold from Buffalo when Leipold took the job leading the Jayhawks. Kotelnicki had played a key role in developing an offense that has often times been electric in 2022 and 2023, and served as a catalyst for Kansas reaching back-to-back bowl games across those seasons. But now he’ll look to aid Penn State and Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin in their efforts to reach the top of the Big Ten Conference again.

Kotelnicki has mentioned in the past he has the goal of being his own head coach someday. Whether the move to Penn State helps him more quickly earn an opportunity at a program he would be open to taking over, at this point, is unclear. But it’s now the track his career is on.

Kansas will continue to prepare for its Guaranteed Rate Bowl matchup on Dec. 26 against UNLV in Phoenix. Penn State will continue preparations for its Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl matchup on Dec. 30 against Ole Miss in Atlanta. Kotelnicki’s run of working with Leipold, dating back further than Buffalo to Wisconsin-Whitewater, ends at a little more than a decade.

“I would like to thank Coach Franklin and Dr. Kraft for this incredible opportunity to join Penn State Football,” Kotelnicki said in the PSU release that announced his hire earlier this month. “It is a tremendous honor for me and my wife, Lindsey, to become part of a program with such a rich history of success and a tremendous family environment with an elite leader in Coach Franklin. I am excited to get to work with the tremendous staff and student-athletes we have at Penn State. I would also like to thank Coach Leipold, the coaching staff and the student-athletes who I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work with at Kansas and wish them nothing but the best.”

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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

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This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: 2 Kansas football standouts react to Andy Kotelnicki leaving for PSU