Tag: Andy Kotelnicki

The hiring of Jim Knowles leaves no excuses left for Penn State’s James Franklin

Penn State just made DC Jim Knowles the highest-paid coordinator in college football. With him now on the staff, James Franklin has no excuses left not to win a title.

After losing defensive coordinator Tom Allen to the Clemson Tigers, Penn State coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] needed to find a replacement capable of keeping the defense at a championship level. It’s safe to say he accomplished that goal. Ohio State DC [autotag]Jim Knowles[/autotag] helped make the Buckeyes defense one of the best in the country this season, and he will now try and do the same in Happy Valley after signing a three-year contract with Penn State.

The deal is for $3.1 million per season, making him the highest-paid coordinator in college football. Now with Knowles and offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag], Penn State has two highly successful coordinators who should be able to elevate the elite talent that they bring in year after year.

It also leaves no excuses for Franklin to finally get over the hump and bring home Penn State’s first National Championship since 1986. They already were one game away from playing for a title this season and will retain most of their key players for 2025. Quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton all chose to return despite NFL interest.

That combined with plenty of young players ready to step into bigger roles, and Franklin knows the time is now to change the perception of his career in Happy Valley. Big games have been his kryptonite, particularly against conference opponents. Prying the coordinator away from perhaps his biggest nemesis was a bold and potentially key move that will help alleviate that issue.

Knowles’ defense was admittedly not always great in tough games, but their playoff run and overall season this year highlighted what he is capable of with the right talent. Few teams possess the amount of athletes that Penn State routinely has waiting for their opportunity to play, so talent won’t be an issue.

Adding a coach fresh off of winning a National Championship is also never a bad thing, as he got to experience what it’s like to make it through the new playoff format. As smart of a move as it seems on the surface, however, Franklin once again has zero excuses left not to win the biggest games of the year. I am sure both teams are even more fired up to face each other this November.

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Penn State’s Kaytron Allen, Nicholas Singleton returning for 2025

Penn State star running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton are both returning to Happy Valley next season.

Penn State received a significant boost to its 2025 offense Monday afternoon when star running backs [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] announced on social media that they would be returning to the Nittany Lions for their senior seasons.

The duo, known as the “Lawn Boyz,” committed to Penn State in 2022, knowing they’d be working in tandem. The explosion of NIL across college football made it inevitable for one of the former five-star backs to find a home elsewhere where they could be the lead back. [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider pulled off the rare feat of keeping two starting running backs.

Singleton and Allen were arguably the nation’s top running back duos in the country after both hit the 1,000-yard mark this season. Allen rushed for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Singleton had a similar stat line, rushing for 1,009 yards with 12 touchdowns. Singleton showed his explosiveness, ranking fourth in the Big Ten with 6.4 yards per carry.

The running backs join starting quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] as three offensive stalwarts returning for 2025. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] will have one of college football’s top backfields entering next season.

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Top 10 moments from Penn State’s 2024 season: Season-opening win at West Virginia (No. 9)

Penn State’s season-opening win at West Virginia was a firm suggestion the 2024 season would be different.

With Penn State’s football season now officially in the books, now is a good time to start putting the whole season into perspective. Although the season ended with the Nittany Lions coming up just short of playing for a national championship, there were a lot of good moments to reflect on positively from the 2024 season that ended with a final record of 13-3. The shortcomings are well documented, but the highlights of the year should not be forgotten.

Penn State came into the 2024 season expected to be among the top teams in the nation with a very good chance to play in the College Football Playoff. But after a 2023 season saw Penn State once again lose all of its marquee games against Ohio State and Michigan in the regular season and against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, some felt a top-10 ranking was probably a tad optimistic for the Nittany Lions coming into the season. So right off the bat, Penn State was on a mission to prove it was worthy of the preseason hype.

The first test was expected to be a decent one with a road opener at West Virginia, the second game in a home-and-home series. Penn State won a fun game the year before at home to open up the 2023 season, but as we soon would learn, Penn State was clearly on a different level than West Virginia in 2024.

After a scoreless first quarter, the new big play offense came to life under new offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag]. On the first play of the second quarter, [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] connected for a 50-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag] to open the scoring and cap a quick four-play, 84-yard drive. Penn State extended its lead five minutes later with [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] hauling in a pass from Allar for a 20-yard touchdown. West Virginia chipped away with a couple of field goals, but Penn State showed right in the first game of the season it was not going to be a team that would let time go to waste. If there was any shot at putting points on the scoreboard late in the half, they were going to go for it.

With 30 seconds remaining in the half after West Virginia’s second field goal, Penn State looked like it would simply run the clock out when [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] was stuffed for no gain on the first play of the drive. But then Allar hurried the offense to the line and completed a pass to [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] for a 55-yard gain to the West Virginia 18-yard line, seemingly leaving West Virginia’s defense scrambling and confused about what happened. Following a timeout, Allar again connected with Wallace for a touchdown, this time from 18 yards out. The quick score was a sign of things to come for Penn State, for better or worse, but showed the new-look offense was ready to achieve big things under Kotelnecki.

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Singleton did start his season on a big note with a 100-yard game right out of the gates after having to wait until the final game of the regular season in 2023 to finally break the century mark.

Penn State’s defense was also locked in. [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag] led the team with 12 tackles before his season unfortunately was cut short due to an injury the following week. [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag] and [autotag]Zane Durant[/autotag] each had 1.5 sacks. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] was limited to just one tackle in his first game at his new position on the edge, but he would clearly have an impact all season long. Penn State forced three West Virginia turnovers and the Nittany Lion faithful took over Milan Puskar Stadium in the first game of the season.

Penn State opened the 2024 season with a well-earned 34-12 victory over West Virginia that was as dominant as the final score would suggest. And Penn State was just getting started. A game that could have been tricker than most expected proved to be just a good opening exercise for a Penn State team that was built like a playoff contender.

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Andy Kotlenicki states he is looking forward to 2025 at Penn State

One of Penn State’s newest additions to the football staff isn’t looking to move on in 2025.

Penn State offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] has been highly regarded for his offensive mind, and it is no wonder why he has seen his name floating around the college football coaching rumor mill once again during this round of the coaching carousel. But Kotelnicki seems ready to shift his focus entirely on the 2025 season in Happy Valley after this current run to the College Football Playoff.

With his name being floating as a potential head coaching candidate at West Virginia, Kotelnicki took to social media on Monday to say he is looking forward to what comes next for the Nittany Lions. The brief statement resonated well with fans, players, and recruits as it looks as though Penn State will get another year with Kotelnicki cooking with the offense.

“Beyond lucky to be a part of the Penn State Football Family,” Kotelnicki said on his X, formerly known as Twitter, account on Monday evening. “Still a lot to accomplish this season and I am looking forward to what 2025 has in store for our program!”

Penn State’s offense ranked 15th in the nation with an average of 448.6 yards per game this season. In 2023, Penn State ranked 55th in total offense with an average of 399.8 yards per game. Penn State saw an uptick in the number of explosive plays this season under Kotelnicki, although the red zone touchdown percentage and average scoring numbers went down slightly this season. But the overall impact of Kotelnicki as offensive coordinator saw a resurgence in the running game and improved play from [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag].

There are some questions about whether Drew Allar will return next season or not. Allar is an interesting NFL draft prospect who has the tools for the next level, and he shined in some big moments this season to draw the attention of NFL draft scouts. But there could also be some room to improve if he returns for another season and gets to work with Kotelnicki for another year.

For now, Kotelnicki and Allar are working to prepare for Penn State’s first College Football Playoff game in program history. Penn State is scheduled to host SMU in the first round of the playoff, which expanded to 12 teams this year. Kickoff in Beaver Stadium between the Nittany Lions and Mustangs is set for 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 21.

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Coaching rumor mill: Penn State coordinator mentioned as potential candidate for West Virginia opening

Will West Virginia come looking for one of Penn State’s coordinators to be the next head coach in Morgantown?

West Virginia was among the schools that opted to make a head coaching change in the days following the conclusion of the 2024 college football season. Neal Brown was fired by the school after leading the Mountaineers for the past six seasons to a record of 37-35. Two of those losses came against Penn State in the past two seasons, including this year’s season opener. West Virginia wrapped up a 6-6 regular season with a 52-15 dubbing on the road at Texas Tech, leaving the school ready to make a change rather than allow Brown a chance to coach in the upcoming bowl season.

Naturally, that has led to a number of college football writers coming up with a list of potential ideal candidates for the vacancy in Morgantown. Among the names mentioned by CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli was Penn State offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag]. Kotelnicki is certainly no stranger to having his name floated for potential head coaching opportunities this round on the coaching carousel, and we will likely see his name pop up again before this year’s coaching carousel comes to a full and complete stop.

“Kotelnicki has been coordinating exciting and explosive offenses for years, first under Lance Leipold at Buffalo and Kansas and now not too far down the road from Morgantown at Penn State,” Fornelli wrote on CBSSports.com. “It feels like it’s only a matter of time before he gets a head coaching job. Could West Virginia lure him away from Happy Valley?”

It does feel as though Kotelnicki is on track to become a head coach, and that certainly should not be surprising given the recent trend of Penn State coordinators under James Franklin. A number of coordinators for Franklin have gone on to become head coaches including Joe Moorhead, Ricky Rahne, Brent Pry, Manny Diaz.

Kotelnicki is likely to leave Penn State at some point for a head coaching opportunity, especially if Penn State continues to have success with him calling the plays. Kotelnicki will be locked in on preparing the Penn State offense for a massive test against Oregon in this week’s Big Ten championship game, and the College Football Playoff is on the horizon.

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Best photos from Penn State’s regular season finale victory over Maryland

Check out the best photos from Penn State’s 44-7 victory over Maryland to close out the regular season.

The temperatures were frigid and Beaver Stadium was far from packed, but Penn State managed to close out the regular season in style with a 44-7 victory over Maryland. The win capped an 11-1 regular season and ultimately sends Penn State off to the Big Ten championship game for the second time in program history.

[autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] set a couple of records in the win as he polished off his awards profile for consideration, and [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] overcame a fumble on the first play of the game to score two touchdowns and return a long kickoff to spark the offense to the rout of the Terrapins.

Here are some of the best photos from Saturday’s regular-season finale victory over the Terrapins.

Penn State will play for the Big Ten championship next week. The Nittany Lions will face Oregon in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, Dec. 7. Kcikoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Former Penn State coordinator Joe Moorhead addresses uncertain head coaching future

Former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is just 8-28 in three seasons at Akron. Could he be looking for work in 2025?

Former Penn State offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Moorhead[/autotag] could be in some interesting waters as the college football coaching carousel swings into full motion. With Akron’s season in the books following a 4-8 season, head coach Moorhead faces questions he may not be able to answer about his future with the program.

Moorhead has said he is focusing on preparing for the offseason as if he will be back in charge of the Akron program in 2025, but leadership changes and a disappointing overall coaching record in three years could take the decision out of his hands. Moorhead has commented on the state of the resources available to his program as he addressed his future.

“What I’ve learned enough in this business is you never say never,” Moorhead said following Akron’s regular-season finale earlier this week, per Football Scoop. “I don’t have a crystal ball, I’m just excited about what we’ve been able to do, and come in here despite the resources – or lack thereof – that we are provided, that we have been able to fight, and scratch, and claw and first become incredibly competitive, and now find a way to win.”

Moorhead spent two seasons coaching the Penn State offense after being named offensive coordinator in 2016. He left behind his role as head coach at Fordham and quickly helped elevate the Penn State offense to help win a Big Ten championship with players like Saquon Barkley, Trace McSorely, Chris Godwin, and Mike Gesicki at his disposal.

After two seasons as offensive coordinator at Penn State, Moorhead returned to head coaching when Mississippi State made an offer. Moorhead spent two seasons as head coach at Mississippi State but was fired at the end of the 2019 season. He then went to Oregon to be the offensive coordinator of the Ducks for two seasons before getting a chance to be the head coach at Akron in 2022.

Moorhead won two games in each of his first two seasons with the Zips and doubled the win total this season to sit at just 8-28 as head coach at Akron.

Penn State could be in a spot where it could potentially need a new offensive coordinator. [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] is a name being thrown around for some possible head coaching opportunities, and co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag] could be getting a head coaching opportunity soon too. If both happen to leave, would Franklin work to bring Moorhead back to Happy Valley?

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Penn State coordinator named potential candidate for North Carolina job

The UNC head coaching vacancy will be worth watching as one Penn State assistant has been mentioned as a potential candidate.

North Carolina is making a significant head coaching change this season, and Penn State could be a program that loses a coordinator out of the change. North Carolina is moving on from the legendary Mack Brown after a disappointing season. He will get one final curtain call with the program this weekend against in-state rival NC State, but the UNC job is effectively vacant, and this is currently one of the most attractive jobs on the coaching carousel.

And as has become a regular thing for Penn State, the football staff has at least one name being thrown around as a potential candidate to fill the vacancy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was mentioned as a potential coaching candidate for the North Carolina job by CBSSports.com.

“Kotelnicki is a turnaround specialist and was part of Lance Leipold’s staff as he turned both Buffalo and Kansas into winners,” CBSSports.com said. “His misdirection offense is one of the most innovative in the game and helped the Nittany Lions move from No. 55 to 21 in total offense.”

Kotelnicki has certainly delivered on the hope of injecting some much-needed life into the Penn State offense, although there is still some room for improvement with the overall wide receiver production. Whether he is an actual candidate for the UNC brass is unknown, but it stands to reason that Kotelnicki will be a name thrown around for possible head coaching vacancies with his current track record.

The lack of head coaching experience shouldn’t necessarily be a disqualifier for Kotelnicki, but the UNC job may end up being more likely to go to an experienced head coach. Among the names thrown around in the coaching rumor mill and media have included Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell, former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, and UNLV head coach Barry Odom. The CBS list also included Colorado head coach Dein Sanders and Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall.

Unlike every other coach on this list, Kotelnicki does not have head coaching experience and he has only been at the power conference level for four years. Still, Kotelnicki is an obvious rising star that could be worth a swing.

Our friends at Tarheels Wire have an updated coaching big board. At this time, Kotelnicki is not included on their radar, but we’ll see if that changes at any time.

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What are the biggest midseason surprises for Penn State football?

What has been the biggest surprise for Penn State football at the midseason point?

Penn State has completed the first half of the regular season and finds itself sitting in a great spot on its quest to compete in this year expanded College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions sit at no. 3 in the major polls during their bye week as they prepare for a road game at Wisconsin and a home game against Ohio State in the next couple of weeks.

With Penn State sitting on a bye week, we decided to get together as a staff and share some of our options on the Nittany Lions before the second half gets started. We shared our midseason assessments but continue with a look at the biggest surprise for Penn State so far this season.

Brad: There was a lot of hype coming into the year regarding how the offense would look under new offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] as they tried to get the most out of five-star quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] who underwhelmed last season, and so far, I think everything has lived up to the hype. When the running backs are healthy, this rushing attack has been dominant.

Despite wide receivers still not jumping off the screen, Allar has been able to push the ball down the field as a result of the scheme. [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag], their best offensive weapon, is being used in ways that makes it hard for defenses to limit his damage. And there are explosive plays back in Happy Valley once again. It’s strange to say that the offense is the best unit on a Penn State team based on what has occurred the past few years, but that’s certainly the case with this group under Kotelnicki and Allar.

Charlie: The biggest surprise for me has been the offense. There were times last season where Penn State just struggled to find a rhythm and put together drives to win against high level opponents. The explosiveness and creativity is much more than what I ever imagined before the season started. Andy Kotelnicki’s has turned Tyler Warren into a the ultimate gadget player with some people even saying he is worth a look for the Heisman Trophy.

Anyone that tells you they expected this type of Tyler Warren in 2024 is lying. Penn State’s offense, unlike in past years, can carry this team. That alone makes their play the most surprising because Penn State has relied so heavily on its defense to bail them out and halfway through this year it seems to be the opposite.

Shayne: The offensive line has not been great through six games, despite so much success recruiting in that area. Losing three NFL-caliber players from last years group doesn’t help, but it’s still something they need to improve. Maybe we see more snaps for some of the reserves throughout the rest of the season.

Kevin: I was not sure the hiring of Andy Kotelnicki was going to have quite the impact it has seemed to have so far this season, or at least as quickly as it did. Yes, there have been some slow starts by the offense, which is equally puzzling and frustrating as it is disappointing. But it does seem this offense has improved in a big way with a more productive running game and big explosive plays happening far more frequently than they did all of last year.

Check out more of our midseason roundtable discussions: 

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Social media reacts to Penn State’s thrilling OT victory over USC

Here is how social media reacted to Penn State’s thriller against USC in Los Angeles.

It looked bleak at halftime, but Penn State managed to pick up a huge 33-30 overtime victory against the USC Trojans in Week 7. The game was full of big plays, turnovers, clutch fourth-down conversions, you name it. In a game that had everything, there were even some things you may not see anywhere else in college football this season.

USC kicked off the highlights with a 75-yard touchdown on a reverse by running back Quinten Joyner, the longest play allowed by Penn State all season. USC added to their lead by driving down the field for another touchdown to go up 14-3. The teams traded field goals before USC added another last-second field goal to go up 20-6 at the half.

Penn State rode Tyler Warren offensively all game, but he really took over in the third quarter. This trick play touchdown where he snapped the ball was the most spectacular, but he racked up 17 receptions for 224 yards overall on the day. Penn State would add another touchdown to their total on their next drive to tie the game at 20, and the teams once again traded field goals on their next scoring drives.

USC would drive the length of the field again to go up 30-23, only for Drew Allar to convert two fourth downs on the way to a tying touchdown of their own. After failed drives by each team, it went to overtime where USC missed their field goal attempt. After picking up a few yards for kicker Ryan Barker, he banged it home for the win. Let’s take a look at how social media reacted to the thriller in Los Angeles.

Safe to say Ryan Barker wasn’t too nervous for his game-winning kick

Someone clearly spoke to soon

Have a day, Tyler!

Coach Franklin didn’t seem too happy…

Kansas fans wishing Andy Kotelnicki was still around…

Plenty of love for Ryan Barker