West Virginia football fired head coach Neal Brown nearly 24 hours after losing to Texas Tech. The Mountaineers appear to be moving swiftly with interviewing candidates following his dismissal.
The university is planning to speak with Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, per WV Sports Now reporter Mike J. Asti on Sunday afternoon. Kotelnicki’s name has sprouted across the college football coaching circles.
Penn State delivered one of the nation’s most explosive offenses in 2024. The Nittany Lions rank 19th overall by averaging 442.8 yards per game. They’ve also scored 50 total touchdowns in 12 games, all through Kotelnicki’s play-calling.
The Nittany Lions secured their spot in next Saturday’s Big 10 title game against Oregon by dismantling Maryland 44-7. The rout marked the third time Penn State scaled past 40 points in a game this season.
The 43-year-old Kotelnicki has drawn up an offense that’s made life miserable for defenses.
Penn State hits defenses early with pre-snap motions and shifts. But the offensive coordinator often mixes and matches different formations — leading to confusion and chaos. One example is this jet motion PSU threw on the Mountaineers on Aug. 31 to start the year.
His system is described as a “blizzard” and “fusion” offense by USA Today college football reporter Paul Myerberg on Nov. 1. Kotelnicki’s scheme can certainly jolt the WVU offense if hired.
The Mountaineers produced the Big 12’s fifth-worst offense in ’24. West Virginia became inept throwing the football, averaging only 200.5 yards per game passing. The ground game emerged as the strength, placing fifth in the conference by tallying 194.2 yards per game.
By hiring Kotelnicki, WVU would be handing the coaching reins over to a first-time head coach. Kotelnicki has served as an offensive coordinator at all his coaching stops dating back to 2006. He started calling plays at Wisconsin-River Falls at the NCAA Division III level from 2006 to 2010.
The University of Buffalo turned into his first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opportunity in 2015. He later joined Lance Leipold at Kansas from 2021-2023 as the Jayhawks’ OC.
West Virginia went 37-35 with Brown. His last team fell to 6-6 overall — making it the third time his WVU team settled for that many victories.
