Is KU football OC Andy Kotelnicki a future head coach? Lance Leipold thinks so

ARLINGTON, Texas — After Lance Leipold took to the stage Wednesday at the Big 12 Conference’s media days for football, he was asked about a wide range of topics. Leipold, Kansas football’s head coach, discussed the depth along the offensive line and the quarterback that depth will benefit. He touched on the rebuild of the Jayhawks’ program and why it’s been able to enjoy success in two seasons. And as the conversation progressed inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, he had the opportunity to highlight a member of his coaching staff — offensive coordinator and associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki. Kotelnicki received a lot of praise during the 2022 season, which saw a much improved offense help propel Kansas to its first bowl game in more than a decade. He received an extension that’ll look to keep him with the Jayhawks for some time. And Leipold sees Kotelnicki as someone who will be a head coach himself one day. “From our first weeks working together at (Wisconsin)-Whitewater, Andy told me that,” said Leipold, who spent time as the head coach at the Division III program with Kotelnicki as one of his assistants. “He’s always asked for other responsibilities, other things he can do, because that’s part of his goals. But Andy’s got a good feel for the big picture. He’s highly organized.” Kansas football offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki looks on during a 2022 practice in Lawrence. Kotelnicki followed Leipold to the Division I ranks and Buffalo ahead of the 2015 season, and remained on Leipold’s staff as an assistant through Leipold’s tenure there. Kotelnicki followed Leipold to Kansas ahead of the 2021 season. Their bond is one that’s formed over a number of years. At this stage of Leipold’s career, Leipold feels a responsibility to help someone like Kotelnicki who has a chance to realize a goal like becoming a head coach. If opportunities present themselves, Leipold may look to bring Kotelnicki into them to continue to foster that growth. And if the Jayhawks’ rebuild continues to progress as it has, one would expect Kotelnicki to not be that far out from a head coaching opportunity coming his way that would be worth taking. So much production returns from an offense that proved to be electric at times in 2022. Ahead of the 2023 season, three of Kansas’ four players on the Big 12’s preseason all-conference team — voted on by the media — are on the offensive side of the ball. Junior quarterback Jalon Daniels, junior running back Devin Neal and redshirt senior offensive lineman Mike Novitsky are those three, with Daniels also earning recognition as the preseason offensive player of the year in the Big 12. “There’s times I’ve traveled with (athletic director) Travis (Goff) on development things and meeting with people and, or something, and Andy may run a meeting and do some other things,” Leipold said. “There’s small things right now, but Andy and I have talked also about other ways that I’d like to include him on maybe some things that I get to do and maybe some meetings I go to and stuff like that.”