Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / T H E O F F E N S E / / / / / / / with creative and frequent use of tight end Tyler Warren, and got the best out of running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, along with the offensive line in front of them. Kotelnicki's profile rose as the season went on, and so too did the odds that a Power Four head coaching opportunity would present itself. However, before he could consider accepting any offer, he needed to answer one key question. Ko- telnicki put it suc- cinctly: "Is being a head coach at School A better than being the offensive coordi- nator at Penn State?" There was no all- encompassing an- swer. Kotelnicki said he had to consider his options on a "case- by-case" basis. "I aspire to be a head coach some- day," he said, "no doubt about it. But I've coached at every level now of college foot- ball. Being at Penn State, the best thing for me is to realize how awesome it is." His decision to return set off a chain reaction that helped position the Nittany Lions as national championship contend- ers entering the 2025 season. Exactly one week after Kotelnicki's an- nouncement, Allar made a social media post of his own. A junior at the time, he was being projected by some as a potential first-round draft pick, and he understood he would be turning down life-changing money by opting to return for one more season at Penn State. But with the oppor- tunity for another year of development under Kotelnicki, he did just that. "I wanted to put myself in the best po- sition to become the best player I can be. I truly felt like I've made a lot of prog- ress here," Allar said. "And when I knew Coach K was coming back for this year, that really gave me a much better feeling. ... It kind of almost persuaded me that I wanted to come back. "Having another year with him, and seeing how much our relationship had grown throughout just one year, I had re- ally high expectations for it. I was really excited about the opportunity to come back and work with him." That opportunity is wide-ranging for Allar, Kotelnicki, and the rest of the Nit- tany Lions' offense this season. Emerg- ing from the Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal last January with an embold- ened sense of possibility, the offense's leadership is convinced there are bigger and better things ahead. Fulfilling that potential will require PSU to build on the successes of Kotel- nicki's first year. Over the course of their 16-game season, the Nittany Lions im- proved from the 2023 campaign in yards per game (from 399.8 to 430.2), rushing yards (184.8 to 202.3), passing yards (215 to 227.9), and team passing efficiency (139.41 to 154.98). Points per game dipped slightly, from 36.2 to 33.1, but overall efficiency improved, particularly on third down, where the conversion rate climbed from 40.8 percent to 45.9. Reflecting on the Lions' season-end- ing loss to Notre Dame and the offense's role in the 27-24 setback, Kotelnicki took a broader perspective. Having come as close to the pinnacle of the sport as he had at any point in his 21-year coaching career, one truth stood out. "We do have what it takes," he said. "You've just got to execute at a high level. I think that guys have a clear vision of what it is and what it takes. We talk about doing the little things right, and doing them 100 percent, and that's what the difference is." Depending on what unfolds this sea- son for Kotelnicki and the Nittany Lions, the choices he faced last December may well resurface as his coaching trajec- tory continues. Determined to take that next step — from Penn State's offensive leader to CEO of a program — Kotelnicki is counting on it. The appeal of setting the full vision for an organization aligns with what James Franklin saw in Kotelnicki from the out- set. Upon his arrival, Franklin hailed him as "an esprit de corps guy" with a dis- tinct ability to unify and inspire. He saw a relational leader stepping into the role. Since then, Kotelnicki has found the experience to be immersive and reward- ing. From the quality of players coming through the program to the coaches he works alongside, it's been fulfilling. He credits Franklin for establishing a culture in which in- ternal battles over direction are no longer daily head- aches. The result is a combination of aspiration and ap- preciation — aspi- ration to one day lead his own program, and appreciation for how close he already is within a Penn State team poised to contend for the sport's highest prize. "With the guys that Coach Franklin has attracted and the culture that we have, it's really fun to coach here," he said. "They love football, they love get- ting better, they love being coached, and they enjoy each other's company, which, as a coach, I'm just part of it. "But if an opportunity ever does come, it needs to be the right one — not just an opportunity." For now, the most important vision Kotelnicki can enact is the one directly in front of him, as the head coach of a Penn State offense with championship ambitions. ■ "We do have what it takes. You've just got to execute at a high level. I think that guys have a clear vision of what it is and what it takes. We talk about doing the little things right, and doing them 100 percent, and that's what the difference is." K O T E L N I C K I F A S T F A C T S : O F F E N S E Coordinator: Andy Kotelnicki (second season) Starters returning: C Nick Dawkins, G Olaivavega Ioane, QB Drew Allar, RB Nicholas Singleton, RB Kaytron Allen, T Drew Shelton, T Anthony Donkoh, WR Liam Clifford Other returnees with starting experi- ence: T Nolan Rucci, TE Khalil Dinkins, TE Andrew Rappleyea, TE Luke Reynolds Starters lost: G Sal Wormley, TE Tyler Warren, WR Harrison Wallace III