James Franklin breaks down new Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki after Peach Bowl berth

James Franklin, sitting in an airport, called in to back-to-back Zoom news conferences Sunday night, hours after it was announced that Penn State would play in the Peach Bowl.

On the first call, Franklin and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin exchanged pleasantries and spoke broadly about each other’s teams they would study closely in the coming weeks. Then, Franklin hopped off the official Peach Bowl call onto one with Penn State beat media.

There, Franklin was asked primarily about the news that became official last Friday: the hiring of Kansas play-caller Andy Kotelnicki as Penn State’s new offensive coordinator.

Kotelnicki will be with the team in an observatory role during Peach Bowl preparations. He won’t be installing his system, and he won’t be calling plays Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Those duties will remain for now with interim coordinators Ty Howle and Ja’Juan Seider.

But Franklin said the next few weeks will be “valuable time” for Kotelnicki to sit in on meetings, analyze the offense’s strengths and weaknesses and build as many relationships as he can.

“He’ll be taking everything in, getting a feel for how we operate, the culture,” Franklin said. “That way literally the day the bowl game ends he can jump in with both feet and get going.”

Franklin compared it to when defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was hired in December 2021, a few weeks before the Nittany Lions played in the Outback Bowl.

“It allowed him and us to hit the ground running,” Franklin said of the timing around Diaz’s hiring. “We’re going to need to do that again.”

When Kotelnicki does take the reins, he’ll do so as “the head coach of the offense,” Franklin said. Kotelnicki’s experience coaching almost every position will help him “float, almost like an NFL coordinator.”

It’s still unclear if Kotelnicki will coach the quarterbacks like Mike Yurcich did before his dismissal. In Yurcich’s absence, graduate assistant Danny O’Brien has been coaching the QBs.

Kotelnicki’s hiring seemed to come together quickly, with rumblings of Franklin flying to Lawrence, Kan., to meet with him a few days before the news broke. But Franklin said he has known Kotelnicki — a Minnesota native with no direct ties to Penn State — for a number of years.

Franklin did “a lot of film study and a lot of research” on Kotelnicki. The data stuck out as Kansas established itself as one of the most prolific offenses in the FBS. The Jayhawks averaged 7 yards per play over the last two seasons. The only teams to outpace Kansas were Oregon, LSU, USC, Georgia and Washington.

But it wasn’t just the stats and the film that impressed Franklin. Kotelnicki and Kansas coach Lance Leipold, who worked together at Buffalo and Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater before taking over at Kansas, visited Penn State a couple of times over the years. Franklin developed a lot of respect for the duo and an admiration for Kotelnicki’s work.

Franklin, after speaking to Kotelnicki more, felt comfortable with how his personality would fit in the Lasch Building. There was a level of transparency during their conversations. Franklin had to be thorough in his search for a Yurcich replacement. And Kotelnicki had to “feel good about what he was joining” after signing a five-year contract at Kansas in January that doubled his salary to $1 million per year.

Ultimately, Penn State came to the table with an attractive offer. The program doesn’t disclose contract details for assistants. But the Centre Daily Times and The Athletic reported Kotelnicki inked a four-year deal worth $1.6 million in 2024 and escalating to $2 million in 2027.

That’s a hefty commitment. But it’s one Franklin and athletic director Pat Kraft, who was “supportive” throughout the hiring process, were clearly comfortable with.

Kotelnicki was the guy Franklin wanted. And after the Peach Bowl, he’ll really go to work.