You can place the blame on a handful of people within the Kansas football organization for its terrible start to the 2024 season. The bottom line is that the team as a collective unit has not played up to par. Still, one of the biggest scapegoats so far has been offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, who assumed his position earlier this year after Andy Kotelnicki left for Penn State.
Grimes has been heavily criticized through the midpoint of the campaign, and for good reason. His questionable play-calling might have caused KU some wins and he has not beaten an FBS opponent in nearly a year. Meanwhile, Kotelnicki is flourishing about 1,000 miles East with the Nittany Lions, helping the No. 3 ranked team in the nation kick off the year 6-0 after a nail-biting win over USC on Saturday. We highly doubt he regrets his decision.
Ex-Jayhawks OC Andy Kotelnicki has transformed Penn State's offense
PSU was unhappy with Mike Yurcich and fired him following the 2024 campaign. Kotelnicki has excelled in his new role and quickly took the offense to new heights. We just saw some of his offensive genius this week with one of the most ridiculous yet creative play-calls you'll ever see.
Kansas had one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in 2022 and 2023 thanks to Kotelnicki. His utilization of pre-snap motion and trickery made him one of the most coveted coordinators on the open market. Penn State eventually poached him despite his successful time in Lawrence, and he has done much of the same at his new job.
Currently sitting in a three-way tie atop the conference, Penn State suddenly has championship inspirations with Kotelnicki calling games. If they defeat Ohio State at home three weeks from now, they will be in a prime position to reach the Big Ten Championship and eventually clinch a College Football Playoff berth. Jayhawk fans sure wish he was back in town right now.
AD Travis Goff claimed that he and others around him did everything they could to bring Kotelnicki back to Lawrence. They obviously could not offer the same dollar figure he received in Happy Valley, but that isn't making us feel any better. Maybe it wouldn't sting as much if the Jayhawks were actually winning games.
There is no denying that Kansas football would have a better record had Kotelnicki stayed. Losing him will be something that fans think about for years to come, especially if Lance Leipold cannot find a sufficient replacement soon. Grimes is clearly not the answer, and that may be addressed after the season with an internal change.